


Flight of the Song

by Kirabaros



Series: Chronicles of Absolution Season 2 [1]
Category: Chronicles of Absolution, Supernatural
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-03
Updated: 2018-05-16
Packaged: 2019-05-01 20:02:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 18
Words: 75,858
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14528124
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kirabaros/pseuds/Kirabaros
Summary: 2.01. Mysterious deaths have been occurring in Lakota, Nebraska. A woman lures men with her song to their deaths. Together, with Sam and Dean, Angela sets out to solve a case that seems to revolve around two special children.





	1. Chapter 1

_Now_

The club was in full swing. Couples were dancing to the music that was being played; music set to reflect the era theme of the club. Club Albion was the place to be on a night like this. It had a strict dress code to reflect an era that had long since passed by but it brought about a sense of nostalgia to some of the older patrons but the entertainment was something else.

Club Albion was known for its show entertainment particularly of the singing sensations that were the regulars. It also catered to an amateur night were young hopefuls could try their hand on the stage. That combined with the good quality alcohol, business was good. Genevieve McKenna surveyed the evening’s crowd with great interest.

Couples were good but the singles, especially the men were better. Tonight she knew why they were here tonight and each one hoped they would be the one to gain favor to be in the presence of none other than Rose Mulvery, the main star of Club Albion. Rose was her main source of income on the nights she performed. She traded off with two other girls but she was the most popular.

Genevieve went towards the back of the stage where the band was performing to check up on her star. The girl was putting the finishing touches on her hair when she came in. Genevieve walked in and helped the girl with a particularly difficult clip. It was the signature ruby rose that she wore during every performance. She said, “The crowd is larger than usual tonight.”

Rose looked into the glass as her clip was pinned into place. She smiled her rosy smile, “Good. I was hoping for a wider selection.”

“There are a few new faces since the semester just finished. You have your pick of the whole garden,” Genevieve smiled as she finished. “Now it is time. Have fun.” She then turned to leave the dressing room. She walked up a flight of stairs towards her office that overlooked the whole club. She stared down at the crowd that had finally gathered at the various tables. She smiled as the lights dimmed and the band began the first chords of Ruby Rose’s first song. She savored the rich melody that came forth.

****

Ryan sat back at the booth table that his friends picked out. After a grueling semester it was now high time for some fun and relaxation. He had intended to go home back to the old farm but his roommate Derek convinced him to come to his town with the promise of a good time. Derek had spoken nothing but Club Albion and the selection of beauties that brought down the house with their singing.

Ryan didn’t really want to come but when his parents revealed that they were going to pay a visit to his grandparents and that he should stay with his roommate and have fun. He deserved it after all the hard work in getting the good grades. So he came home with Derek and now he was sitting in the famous Club Albion.

He had to admit that he was surprised at the place. Everyone was required to dress up. Men were in suits and the women were in skirts. Derek came with his girlfriend and she tried to set him up with one her friends. Ryan was polite though and paid attention to her but she was not his kind of girl. It wasn’t long before another one of the single guys came and asked her to dance and that was fine with him.

So now he was sitting in the booth nursing his one and only drink while he watched Derek and his girl dance. He could admit that the place was nice but it just wasn’t him really. Derek and his girl finished their dance and came to sit at their table. Derek said, “Come on Ryan. Are you just going to sit there all night?”

“I’m not really a clubbing sort of person Derek.”

“Don’t be such a girl Ryan. At least have fun while you’re here. Hell I noticed a few choice girls giving you the look over. That devil may care look works man,” Derek replied with a grin on his face. He had been trying to loosen up his roommate ever since they moved in together in the apartment they shared. Now that he had Ryan here, he was being a dork but he did have a few things going for him and the cute bad boy look that he wore with ease was one of them. “Come on.”

Ryan just smiled, “You know I do this to humor you.” He took a sip of the drink that he had barely touched. He had no intention of getting drunk tonight. A vivid reminder of his mother instilling that a glass with dinner was okay but to overindulge was sinful. It was a habit he never got out of even when he went away to college.

“You gotta live a little man,” Derek replied. When he failed to get a reaction from Ryan he shrugged his shoulder as he wrapped his arm around his girl. “Well at least you came on the night that every guy comes out.”

“And girl.”

Derek gave his girl a humorous smile, “And girl because the main entertainer is just… you really can’t say.”

“She’s the best… even better than some of the top pop stars. Every girl strives to be like her and they try on amateur night to land a job here.”

Ryan figured that the night couldn’t get any duller. Judging by the way Derek and his girl were acting, he might as well see this singer. It couldn’t possibly be that bad. “She sounds like a star.”

“Here she is. Before I went to school she was a second stringer. Now she’s the first string.” Derek took a sip of the drink he ordered. “They call her Ruby Rose.”

“For the famous ruby rose she wears in her hair. She wears it during every performance.”

Ryan shrugged his shoulders, “She sounds pretty special.”

Derek was going to say more but the house lights started to dim. The single guys started to whoop as the band got into their places. Ryan watched as the guys bum rushed the stage each jockeying for a place close to the stage. This Ruby Rose must be a looker for guys to act like that. Ryan didn’t fail to notice that some of the women were behaving just as badly.

The band struck up the opening chords and a harmonious voice sounded forth. Ryan sat back while he watched Derek and his girl lean forward. Out from behind the curtains emerged a woman. She was a brunette with her hair coiffed in the style of the 30s. She wore a white sequined dress that revealed her shoulders. Her skin was a creamy white perfection. Ryan thought she looked nice but when she started singing, he could see why people thought she was a goddess.

Ruby Rose’s voice was like something out of heaven. As her voice sung the words of her chosen song, her red lips would smile and move. Her blue-green eyes twinkled. Her song only seemed to become more intoxicating as she swayed her hips and she crossed the stage. She took her time descending the steps of the stairs.

Ryan leaned back looking at the singer as she walked through the crowd. He was amazed that while everyone bum rushed the woman they parted like the Red Sea to let her through. The song though was enthralling. Ryan swore he heard it somewhere before and figured it might be one of those songs that were sung during the 30s or whatever. It was better than some of the modern pop crap that some of the girls on his floor listened to.

It was totally unexpected when Ruby Rose turned and looked right at him. Ryan thought he was getting a complete look down but through the eyes. She smiled at him and started walking towards him. She was still singing and he was aware that he was getting a bunch of jealous stares from everyone. Derek and his girl where looking flabbergasted when Ruby Rose came to their table and sat next to him as she finished her song. She gave a slight wink and asked, “Can I join you?”

****

The canal was flowing and looked surprisingly clean. Usually they were full of garbage and water mold that was disgusting. In fact it looked like a romantic spot to share a moment. The place was known for couples to make out like crazy after a night at the Club Albion.

At the moment there was no one there so all was quiet. You could hear the burbling of the water. It was marred though by the sound of footsteps and labored breathing  as footsteps thumped through the ground.

Ryan had no idea where he was going but he knew he just had to get away. He never thought that his roommate’s nagging would get him into a situation like this. He wished he had gone back to the farm and things would have been all right. He gave a quick look behind him as he ran ever faster. He ran until he came to an abandoned building. Maybe he could lose them in there.

He ran inside the building just as it started to rain. He fumbled in his jacket pocket for his cell phone. He dialed Derek’s number and waited while it rang.

_Hello?_

“Derek, it’s me,” Ryan said in a low whisper. He cautiously looked around to see if anyone was following him.

_Hey Ryan, how’d it go? Did she kiss you?_

“Can you think of something else besides that?” Ryan was annoyed. Derek sometimes stayed on the track of the downstairs brain a little more than usual especially when he was with his girl. “Listen I need you to come and get me.”

_Come on man. Don’t tell me that you don’t like her. I mean she picked you._

“Derek, I mean it. I need you to pick me up. Something is not right here.”

_Alright, alright. Keep your pants on. I can’t believe you didn’t score with her. She totally had her eyes for you. You really do need to get laid._

“Derek,” Ryan hissed, “Just come. I’m in the warehouse by the canal. That one you pointed out to me.”

_The old Kendall place? Fine I’m coming but dude you seriously need to start breaking free of the ball and chain you call your parents._

Ryan rolled his eyes. “Right and I’m sure you’re an authority on that.” A noise sounded and Ryan looked around. He started to panic as he heard a door opening. “Derek just get your ass here. Something is after me.”

_Yeah and it’s a hot chick and you’re too much of a girl to go after her like she should be._

Ryan was going to say something but then he saw it. His breathing started to come out in gasps as his heart started to pound in his chest. It was horrible and yet it was beautiful too. Ryan panicked and shouted, “Derek help me!”

Ryan then took off running unaware that he had dropped his phone on the floor. It was still on as he ran screaming through the building. It was the last thing his roommate heard.

****

Glass shattered as the body crashed through the window. At least the house was an abandoned one but it was the base to less desirable creatures. The body that had gotten thrown through the window rolled on the floor of the back room that it landed in. Its owner rolled over to look to see his attacker advance towards him.

“That was a warm up, Cary. If you just tell me what I want to know, I may consider a less cruel method of dealing with you.”

Cary looked up at his attacker. She had let him go before but this time he got the feeling that no matter what he did he was dead meat. The best thing he could do was go down fighting and make her work for it. He did it before. He gave a slow grin and replied, “If that was a warm up, I’m not impressed. You’re gonna have to do better than that to get what you want.”

To show that he meant what he said, his eyes flickered black as he stood up. With a deft movement of his hand, he sent his attacker straight towards the wall and pinned her there. He raised her to the point where she was suspended in the middle of the wall. He laughed as he advanced. “You’re not as tough as I heard you to be. Hell you haven’t changed at all Angie.”

Angela wrinkled her lip as she struggled not to react in rage. That led to mistakes. Besides she had dealt with Cary before and hell she had been in this position before not too long ago. She also had a purpose. She narrowed her eyes as she tested the strength of her hold with her limbs. She looked at Cary and replied, “So certain you are about me? Haven’t you heard the rumors about me?”

“Oh I’ve heard the rumors. Tell me, how did it feel when Sammy Winchester died?”

Angela resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She had been asked that question many times ever since she started this little pet project of hers. She didn’t get why they asked her that stupid question. How did they think she felt? She wasn’t going to give them fuel though so she lied, “It wasn’t Sam that made me feel like that.”

Cary grinned and replied, “Keep telling yourself that love. Now if you’ll excuse me, I think I’ll get back to business as usual.” He started to walk away.

“You’ll not be going anywhere until you tell me what I want to know.”

Cary stopped. He was clearly annoyed. True she had gotten the drop on him but he had her suspended on the wall. “In case you haven’t forgotten, you’re the one currently suspended on my wall. I think I’m the one with the winning hand.”

At that moment the doorbell rang. Cary gave an annoyed sigh. His client was on time but it was the crummiest ever. He glanced to make sure that his guest was in her spot as he went to the door and answered it. The transaction took no more than maybe ten minutes but when he got back, his guest was not where he left her. He looked around trying to find her and wondering how she got out when all of a sudden he was grabbed from behind. Then she said, “You shouldn’t have turned your back Cary.”

Cary then felt himself being flung into the wall with such force that he didn’t think it possible. He made a dent in the wall but he was back up on his feet. He took a good look at her. He saw her eyes as glowing orbs and there seemed to be a slight shadow about her face. He said, “You’ve crossed the edge love. You know that touching it is only the beginning.”

Angela heard that before too. She replied, “I crossed the edge a long time ago Cary. I just had a big reminder. Now tell me where or how to find your boss.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Cary replied with a shrug. He’ll play dumb if he had to. It didn’t matter what he did.

Angela moved quickly and grabbed Cary and slammed him into the wall. Her eyes were glowing orbs as she looked the demon in the black pits that were eyes. She lowered her voice to the dangerous tones she used when she wasn’t playing around, “Tell me where I can find your boss or better yet how I could summon the assphat.”

To show that she meant business, she pulled the knife she kept on her person. It was a special knife as was her other things. Maintaining her hold she brought the edge of the blade close to the forearm she managed to expose.

Cary watched her and tried to play it off, “You think that little pick is going to hurt me? The Colt your boys have ain’t worth its weight now that all your bullets are spent. What are you going to with that? Ruin a good shirt?”

Angela peered at Cary with a look similar that she gave to Jake before she killed him. She then gave a slow grin and drew the edge of the knife against the forearm. She ignored the scream that Cary gave from the burn of her knife. She replied, “That was a small taste of what I can do Cary. Don’t forget I have an even bigger knife capable of cutting that pathetic head of yours.”

Cary gritted his teeth from the pain of the knife. There was only one blade he knew that was capable of that kind of power. Yet what Angela was holding wasn’t that knife. It had to be something else or she knew where to get one like it. “What do you want?”

“The spell to summon your boss.”

Cary gritted his teeth as the pain dulled in his forearm. He replied, “You know I can’t do that. Do you know what he’ll do to me if I squeal how to find him?”

“It will be a lot worse if you have to deal with me,” Angela retorted. “Work with me and maybe I’ll let you get away again.”

Cary said nothing for a moment. Something about her was different. It was like something had been released and when pushed, it would rear its ugly head. No wonder the others were afraid. It was no wonder none of the other dealers wanted anything to do with her. They didn’t even show when she summoned them via the usual methods to do deals. “It’s not that simple.”

“So you say. You’re not the one that has no shows when the summoning is conducted in the proper manner. I faced several of your dirty kind with a higher pay grade than you. I am not afraid of you Cary. You’re the same pathetic worm I picked up when I was after Azazel.” Angela applied pressure and brought the knife close. “Now tell me or the next slice might be a little too deep.”

Cary knew he would be in the shit hole if he did anything she was asking. Yet he valued his life but he was a bloody demon. She was the enemy here. He did deals but not the way she wanted them even if she could invoke her broker’s rights. He grimaced and contorted his face into a snarl. “No.”

Angela cocked her head to the side as her eyes glowed. She said nothing but lowered the blade. She applied pressure but not enough to break the skin. It still burned though and she left it there as she smelt the burnt flesh. She looked at Cary in the eyes.

“Alright, stop. Stop!”

Angela pulled the blade away from the burnt skin. It was a nasty burn. She looked at Cary in the eye and said, “Now are you ready to tell me?”

Cary knew he was whipped. There was no way he was going to be able to handle a fight with her. The others were right and there was reason to be afraid. To hell with what his boss was going to do. What she was going to do was the thing to worry about. She was not the same. She had changed. He replied, “Fine. I’ll tell you how to track and summon. He’s not the kind to stay in one place long and once he finds out I told him, my life is forfeit.”

“Well then I guess you have to choose the lesser of two evils.” Angela gave a slight movement with her head as she withdrew the blade and took a step back. “Now spill.”

Cary knew she was right. He gave a cursory glance at his forearm. He then looked at her and said, “Alright, to find him you…”

It was past midnight by the time Angela got back to the motel. She paused by the Impala to check on it out of habit while she fished her key out of her jacket pocket. She then walked onward to her room and opened the door being careful to not disturb the salt lines she had laid down for the night. Shutting the door, she went about getting ready for bed with a calm she didn’t feel. When she was finished she didn’t go to bed but leaned against the wall. She slid down as she ran a hand through her hair as she wondered what the hell she was doing.

****

“A little early for a powwow isn’t it?”

Angela said nothing as she sat cross legged on the hood of the Impala. She stared out at nothing in particular with her mind still on the events that happened after she wished the boys a good night previously. She managed to get a few hours of sleep but that didn’t assuage the guilty feeling about sneaking away to battle demons with no back up.

Sam was up early as usual and had decided to go for some coffee and doughnuts while waiting for Dean to decide to wake up. He thought he was the first one up but he spotted Angela sitting on the car staring at nothing. He frowned in a worried way and wondered if she was still pissed about that business with a demon they came across after dealing with the seven deadly sins. The demon didn’t speak English but in some strange language that she seemed to understand and he could see her get visibly angry.

The demon got away and Angela took a hike that carried her five miles down the road before the steam had been burnt out. Dean had been driving when they caught up with her where she was waiting like she had all the time in the world. Dean didn’t ask her anything but Sam wanted to know what was up and she got angry and told him to leave her alone.

That was last night. Sam wondered if she really was okay after what happened to the both of them. She seemed to be okay and she even joked with them but Sam got the feeling that the wheels that were turning in her mind were working on something that she either didn’t want to share or felt like she couldn’t. Dean didn’t seem to have a problem with it and in fact acted as if nothing were wrong. Sam though decided to try again and apologize for anything that he might have done.

He came back with three cups of coffee and the box of doughnuts to find her still sitting there. He mustered up the courage to talk to her. When she didn’t answer he peered at her and held a coffee cup out to her.  “Coffee?”

Angela realized that Sam was talking to her and looked to see the cup being held out to her. She knew she had to apologize for her behavior the night before. It wasn’t Sam’s fault. He always was the one who concerned himself with others. He didn’t know why she had been so angry and she felt bad she took it out on him. Dean knew why though but that was no excuse. If she was going to do what she intended, she had to keep her head in the game and not do stupid stuff but it was damn hard when dealing with a newly opened gate and learning how to regulate power.

She smiled at Sam and accepted the cup and replied, “Thanks. I’m just thinking. It wakes me up.”

Sam leaned against the Impala. Her sitting put her at near eye level when she sat up like she was going to do meditation. “You think a lot. Anything random floating in there?” He said the last bit in a teasing tone to try and get her in a good mood.

Angela took the bait and replied, “A bit. Still working on regulating the gate in there but it’s working. All it takes is practice.” She looked at her cup and took a sip of the coffee. “Sam, I’m sorry about last night. I know you were only trying to help.”

“Well I’m sorry too. I should’ve read the signs. I just worry about you. Some days you shut yourself off and other days you’re open and joking.”

Angela gave a slight smile, “Don’t worry too much Sam. With the demons that got out of the Gate, we are bound to come across a few that I may have met before sending them back to the pit. We know how to piss each other off.”

Sam knew that wasn’t the whole truth but he didn’t want to spoil the morning by pestering her with questions. They did have a pact when it came to telling each other stuff in their own time though he figured he was going to have to modify it if it came to the point where it was stupid to say nothing. Instead he pulled out a paper and handed it to her. “I managed to find a copy of Pickwick. Maybe you might find something… unless you find the cipher.” He gave a slight smile.

Angela took the paper and opened it to the job section. She replied, “One more thing on the list of things to teach you and Dean then.” She grinned at Sam to let him know all was okay.


	2. Chapter 2

Dean chomped on one of the cream filled doughnuts that Sam managed to get without too much trouble as Angela filled him in on a potential job. She had that Pickwick Paper thing as well as a local paper spread out on the table in his and Sam’s room. He took a sip of coffee as he studied Angela.

She certainly seemed to be in a better mood than she was last night. Hell she told Sam to piss off and after he had asked her a simple question. Dean knew the reason for it though. It had to do with a way to break his deal. After that job with the seven deadly sins, she came to him and told him that she may have one way that didn’t go through official channels such as appealing to higher authority. Dean listened as she explained and at first he said no because of what it involved.

Of course she had to use Angie logic which was eerily similar to Sam logic. Dean didn’t want her to do it because the image of the look she had when she killed Jake kept popping up. He also knew that she had been practicing with her powers. Hell he caught her doing that shooting thing when the guy called ‘pull’. Only this time she was sending things flying with her own mind and shooting, letting them fly different distances. Other times she spent plain physical training as well as training with the hell mutt.

In the end, she convinced him and he reluctantly agreed. He gave the condition though that Sam wasn’t to know about her extracurricular activities regarding that. His reasoning was that if Sam found out, he would want to help and as far as Dean could tell, what she wanted to do would be dangerous and maybe bring out the dark part that she herself was still afraid of even though she acknowledged it. Dean didn’t want Sam to see that… at least not yet. He had the sense to realize that eventually it would come out but he wanted Sam to be ready.

Dean had been surprised when she said that she had it in mind in the first place. Her reason though was because she didn’t want to raise Sam’s hopes only to have them dashed in his face. Dean realized that it wasn’t for her sake but for Sam’s that she wasn’t going to say anything. He gave a slight nod and held out his hand. He motioned for her to take his hand and when she gave her hand over, he took it by the wrist like Dad did. He did some reading and found that kind of grip was given between two warriors giving each other respect. He modified it though by putting his other hand on her shoulder and giving it a slight squeeze. It was his way of saying that while he thought it was futile since she had been there when the terms had been set but this was Angela. Like Sam, she would try to find a loophole and he felt some measure of hope, the kind that she warned about but he couldn’t help it.

That demon last night, Dean figured was someone that Angela knew previously… maybe from a time that she would find some day to tell him and Sam. Last night though he knew that she had been pissed off by that demon even though he didn’t understand a word the thing had been saying. She did though and she replied in the same language. It was a threat she gave and Dean knew threats well. The demon left before they could take the fugly down but she was still pissed.

Sam of course had to ask questions and she told him to piss off before taking a hike to walk it off. Dean couldn’t resist teasing his brother about pissing off a woman. That earned him the bitch face but it gave sufficient time for Angela to burn off some steam which ended up being five or six miles down the road. It was enough for them to get to a motel and she politely said good night.

Now she was sitting there in his and Sam’s room pointing over a potential case. He could tell she pulled a late night since she had slight dark circles under her eyes but the coffee she drank seemed to wake her up. “So what does Pickwick say?”

Angela ran her finger under the lines of the open cases that had cropped up. She pointed at the regular paper and replied, “Well it appears that there have been a series of deaths near the canal of this town called Lakota somewhere in Nebraska.”

“Anything special about them,” Dean replied chewing his second bite of his doughnut. He talked with his mouth full knowing that it would annoy Sam.

Sam was studying the paper while Angela replied, “All the victims were men and they were drowned.”

“Nothing special about that,” Dean replied.

“The latest victim actually got away. A kid named Ryan Harrison on break from college said that he had been taken to a popular spot with a beautiful woman where he was attacked by a very large horse,” Sam replied as he read the paper.

Dean frowned, “A horse?”

Sam shrugged his shoulders. “Yeah.”

“Sam the only way that someone gets attacked by a horse is if they spook it or something. Maybe the kid was off his rocker.”

“Maybe not,” Angela replied as she took a sip of her coffee. She frowned slightly when she realized that she drank the cup dry. She peered into it to check shrugged her shoulders and tossed it behind her where it landed in the wastebasket. She pointed at the line she had been reading where she had marked the paper to reveal the actual job opening. “According to Pickwick, there has been suspicious activity. It’s suspected to be a witch maybe since the victims were found with strange markings.”

“Dammit. I hate witches,” Dean replied as he read the translation Angela provided. “So how is being chased by a giant horse fit into this?”

Angela shrugged her shoulders as she grabbed a plain glazed doughnut and looked at it as if it were a strange thing. She took a bite and chewed and swallowed before answering. “Something to find out I guess.”

Sam frowned slightly at her response. At least she wasn’t pissed anymore. Heck before Dean woke up she was joking with him as she read her paper. Then again she was just being a connoisseur with the fricking doughnuts. Ever since she took over Bobby’s kitchen she made everything from full meals to snacks and desserts. They weren’t that bad either… well they were just awesome. He and Dean were plain spoiled especially with her snacks that she would stash in the car when they left Bobby’s and she would even restock in various towns.

He watched as she took a bite of her chosen doughnut and made a face that said it wasn’t bad. She was just being a connoisseur which meant that she wasn’t paying too much attention to the question being asked. He gave a slight smirk at her and added, “Might be some strange witch mojo. It wouldn’t hurt to check it out.”

Dean glanced over at Angela who was appearing thoughtful as she was slowly chewing her doughnut. He could tell that she was not completely listening to the conversation. He knew she was really tasting the doughnut and the reason for it was something that completely stupid as well as random. It was actually a game to him and she did it to amuse him since she was the only other person who could pack away as much food as he could.

Watching her, he got the impression that she was tasting for the ingredients and possibly thinking of some way to either make something similar at Bobby’s or making a mental note to never eat from that particular place again. He suspected it was a means of staying awake and he turned to Sam and replied, “Well if it is a witch I guess we better check it out. Unless you think it’s one of your friendly witches Angie.”

“No. When do we leave?” Angela finished her doughnut having figured out a few things. She actually used her tasting for the ingredients as a cover to think about the plan she was working on for Dean. Even though she was tired from last night, she was coming up with means of being more careful about her outbursts.

She had been following the whole discussion and she had an idea about what was going on. However she wanted to see a few things and it was a case. Maybe working it would give some ideas for her problem. She looked at the boys expectantly.

Dean looked at Sam and then said, “Well one less witch bitch the better. Sam?”

“Fine with me.”

“Great. Twenty minutes work for you Angie?” He gave a smirk, “I know ladies like to take their time in the morning.”

“Only if it is worth the effort,” Angela replied with a smirk. She collected the papers and said, “See you in twenty.” Then she left leaving the brothers to pack their gear up.

****

“Sam you want to explain why we have stopped in the middle of nowhere when we have a case waiting for us in Lakota?”

Dean’s question was rhetorical but it served to vent his lack of patience at the moment. They were a little more than halfway to Lakota when Angela asked him to stop. Dean thought it was a restroom break or something like that but they had been waiting for nearly half an hour and she still hadn’t come back. Dean thought she was not being serious about the case. He paced outside the car feeling annoyed.

Sam sighed as Dean paced. He replied, “Dean I don’t have any clue. This is Angie… well I think it is.”

Dean raised his brow. Was Sam getting suspicious? That couldn’t be good. “What’s that supposed to mean?

Sam shrugged his shoulders, “Nothing really. It’s… does it seem like she’s different?”

“You would be too if you had freaky powers that come easier than before,” Dean replied. “Leave it alone Sam.” He saw the bitch face form and added, “Sam it worries me too…”

“You sure do a good job of showing it,” Sam retorted before started to walk off in a direction.

Dean made a face as he followed his brother. He caught up with his brother and said, “Sam, quit being a bitch. Angie has things to work out inside that mind of hers.” Dean could see that he was hardly being convincing to his brother. Angela would probably hate his guts if he said anything. Well maybe Sam should know. “Sam, it’s…”

Dean didn’t get to finish what he was saying when suddenly out popped a band of people, mostly women and a few men. They were dressed like hunters. Some were pointing guns at the brothers while others had other weapons at the ready. The leader was a woman wearing a short brown jacket over a shirt and jeans and knee high boots. She had blue eyes and dark hair and a scrutinizing expression. Dean thought she was a hot chick.

The woman advanced towards the brothers and said, “Well, well, well. What do we have here?”

“Trespassers milady.”

The woman looked at the brothers. She replied, “It seems so.” She looked at Dean and said, “This land is sacred to us. We don’t take kindly to intruders.”

“Here in the middle of nowhere?”

“Dean,” Sam glanced at his brother. Maybe Dean didn’t care that they had guns pointed at them but he did. It was also strange that there were no cops, nobody.

“Police are of no concern if they don’t see anything,” the woman said. “Now you both can come along quietly while we decide what to do with you trespassers.” She motioned with eyes.

Dean waited until the guy made a move on his brother before striking. No one messed with Sam. He just got his brother back and he was feeling in an ass kicking mood. He held up his own until he was hit from behind. That got Sam into the fray and the both of them started the brawl. Fists started to fly and the guns were forgotten.

The woman watched on amused. She could take on the smaller one easily. He was a good fighter and a bit of a flirt. She had seen the look he had given her when she approached them. The other, the bigger one was something else. There was something different about him and she wanted to test her skills against him. As soon as he had been knocked free by one of her men, she walked up and said, “You’re brave. Care to test your strength against me?”

Sam was only fighting because Dean decided to be stupid and take a swing. They were outnumbered and they had guns but that didn’t seem to matter at this point since he and Dean were getting their asses handed to them even though they were holding their own. Now the leader was looking at him with a speculative eye. She asked him if he wanted to fight her. He really didn’t but at this point there was little choice.

Sam held his fists up and was unprepared for the sudden strikes of the women. He was on his back quickly and she was in the process of trying to strangle him. Dean was no help since he was getting beat up by the others and he felt his air getting constricted. The woman said to him, “A pity. I thought you were stronger. For your brother’s mistake, you’ll pay trespasser.”

Suddenly there was an undulating cry and the woman was knocked off of him. Sam gasped as he took deep breaths. He rolled over to see Angela giving a smile at the woman but it was a calculating smile. It was the kind that spoke of a love of battle. He watched as Angela brought her hands up and stood back in a ready stance.

****

The wait was interminable and Angela was beginning to think that they were being rude on purpose or something wrong had happened. She checked to make sure that she had done everything right in the summoning. It was unnecessary because she knew that she had done everything correctly so something was up. _Dean’s going to be pissed._

They had been on their way to Lakota when she saw they were driving by a familiar sight. She thought it was a good idea to ask them about what they knew of Lakota since it was primarily of their people’s territory. Plus she had some questions to ask about them being here. They would know if there was witch activity and the like. So she asked Dean to pull over and to wait for her.

Now she was standing there looking like a fool. It was not like her to ignore a summons. Suddenly something ticked in her mind. She felt her eyes turn into glowing orbs and then it was gone. She looked around but that nagging feeling was still going strong. Her boys were in trouble. How or why she didn’t know but she was certain they were in trouble. She left the area after grabbing the medallion she had used for the summoning. She only had the one and they were extremely hard to come by.

She ran through the fields heading back towards the car. It was then she caught sight of a fight that was going badly for the boys. She watched Dean get taken on by five of them and then Sam was pummeled by another. She could see that his air was getting choked out of him. Oh no. That wasn’t going to happen. No one messed with those boys.

Angela put a spurt of energy into her legs as she took off running. She felt a surge of pleasure as she let out the war cry that came as natural as breathing and she made contact with the woman that had been choking Sam. She assumed a basic fighting position as she grinned at the woman. She said, “You picked the wrong hunters to mess with.”

“And ye should have taught them respect.” The woman then launched into and attack with her own cry.

Angela reacted with a block and counter strike. She had her teeth gritted but she was smirking in pleasure as her limbs made contact. She didn’t even flinch when a kick caught her across the face. It just spurred her on. She flipped over the woman to where Dean was having trouble and grabbed one of the men that had been gaining up on him and threw him with force at the woman.

The others tried to take her on and she used things there. She found one of the assailant’s guns on the ground. Using the toe of her boot she lifted it up and with a spinning back kick she sent it flying until it hit one of them in the chest. By that time, Dean was on his feet but he didn’t see someone come up from behind with a sword raised to him on the back of the head. Angela reacted by a running start and she put her hands on Dean’s shoulders and flipped over them to land in front of Dean’s attacker and gave a quick punch that had the guy land on his rear.

Dean turned to look. “Damn Angie.”

He was then bent over as Angela pushed on his shoulder and she swung her lower body around with a kick. Dean felt himself dragged by his jacket until he was next to Sam who was rubbing his neck and trying to get up. She stood herself between them and the guys that he decided to throw a punch at. She had her hands up ready to get the next one. Dean watched as they closed in on them. They were outnumbered.

“Enough.”

Angela didn’t back down. After all some of the others weren’t backing down. She narrowed her eyes at the woman before a slow smile crept on her face. It became a smirk as she lowered her hands and relaxed her fighting stance. She then said, “Realized it was a stalemate didn’t ya Philly?”

The woman gave a smile even as one of her men asked, “You know them milady?”

The woman replied, “They are the Winchesters and this is Absolution.”

“I wield Absolution,” Angela replied as she walked towards the woman. She gripped her wrist in the warrior grasp. “It’s been a very long time Philadelphia.”

Philadelphia returned the grip equally firm. “Too long. I apologize for not responding but when it was detected that there were trespassers, we had to respond. I’m afraid your friends strayed off the safety zone through no fault of their own.”

“So that’s why you decided to ambush us?”

“Dean,” Sam rasped.

Philadelphia walked forward until she was looking at Dean, “If I recall, I said for you to come with us and your fate would be decided. You were the one that threw the first punch. So to be like children, you started it.”

Angela suspected as much and she didn’t want to get into an argument right now. She said, “What’s done is done. I initiated the summoning rite when I spotted the marker. I thought it strange at first since last I heard the whole nation was in Britannia.”

Philadelphia looked over at her men and then at Angela. She did owe this old friend an explanation but then again there were things that were not water under the bridge as the expression went. That was part of the reason why she didn’t respond as fast as protocol demanded. It was related to the fact that there were too few of her tribe.

Still it was rude if no explanation given even if her old friend’s companion started the fight. Philadelphia knew that she was still under obligation to answer whatever her old friend wanted to know until the words of farewell were spoken. There were also a few others who wanted to see her again and of course the elders wanted to as well. They would know about her being here by now.

Looking at the trio, she said, “Much has happened since you last passed through. I cannot say much here.” She made a slight motion with her head. “The laws of the nation…”

“I understand,” Angela replied. “May we have permission to enter your lands?”

Philadelphia nodded. “You have permission. You may bring your car to our settlement.” She then barked an order to her men and started heading in.

Dean waited until they started moving before saying, “Another one of your friends Angie?”

Angela led the way back to the car after making sure the boys were okay. She gave a wry smile. “Old friends from long ago, Dean.”

Sam rubbed his neck as he followed along. “How old?”

Angela gave a wry smile back towards Sam. “You really want to know?”

It was moments later they were in the Impala and Angela was driving down the path. At first Dean put up a fuss about off roading in the Impala. However when Angela started driving, it was discovered that the path was not as rough as it appeared to be. Angela was driving with a calm air about her while she waited for Dean to calm down. She said, “Don’t worry Dean, I’ll give her a spit and shine once we pull into Lakota.”

“I’ll hold you to that Angie and I’ll be doing a close inspection when you’re done,” Dean replied with a slight pout on his face.

Angela grinned and replied, “Don’t worry. Every last speck of dirt from this trail will be removed. And I might add something to sweeten the deal.” She gave a slight chuckle to taunt Dean into guessing what she was going to add.

“Don’t tell me you got pie stashed in my baby somewhere,” Dean inquired. Since he was in the backseat, he had more freedom in searching the car. He started moving around and looking through the empty bags and the small bag that stayed there. “Please tell me it’s pie.”

Angela let out a laugh. She loved teasing Dean with her pie. She always managed to keep a few pieces stashed in the car. She knew that when Dean needed time to mellow out, pie was the answer. She always found a way to grab his attention with the pie. One backfired though when the piece she was going to tempt him with ended up on his face but it worked out since he enjoyed the pie anyway. “I might have a piece somewhere hidden along with my version of trail mix and dried fruit. Thing is I can’t remember where each one is.”

Dean gave a look and said, “You’re doing that on purpose.”

“When did you guess, Dean?” Sam gave a chuckle as he watched his brother look for the pie that Angela kept to persuade Dean. The sorry thing was that Dean had no idea she was bribing him with pie whenever she wanted something. Or if he did know, then he was at the point where he didn’t care.

“Shut up, Sam. There’s pie on the line and it’s worth it even if we have to meet some crazy friends of Angie’s.” Dean stopped looking around the back seat for pie. If Angela had pie somewhere she was not going to hide it in obvious places. She would spring it on him when he least expected it and it was never the same kind twice in a row.

“They aren’t crazy. Just a very old Celtic order of warriors,” Angela replied as she turned the car into a clearing that was just outside the huts of the village. She gave a slight smile as she saw the familiar buildings. It seemed so out of place in the modern world but it brought back a sense of nostalgia mingled with a sense of apprehension. It had been a long time. She parked the car. “Well, we’re here. They may be able to tell us about our witch problem.” She got out.

Sam took the opportunity to turn and look at Dean. Dean looked back and gave a shrug of his shoulders. Sam took the opportunity to ask, “Well what do you think?”

Dean looked at the huts and the people coming out. Some were greeting Angela with hugs and pats and she was smiling in return. It had been some time since he had seen her smile like that. How could it hurt? She did save their asses once again. Then he saw something that decided it for him. He looked at Sam and replied, “I think I’m going to grab an early lunch.” He got out of the car leaving Sam to shake his head in a tolerant manner as he got out of the car and was surrounded by a small group of children.


	3. Chapter 3

“So you really did fight a striga?”

Sam looked at the group of children surrounding him, some sitting on the ground and others sitting on logs. As soon as he got out of the car, he had been surrounded by children who looked up at him as if he were the strangest thing. One asked him if all people were as big as he was. Another asked questions about what he did. The leader of the kids said, “Quit it with the stupid questions. Can’t you guys see that this is Sam Winchester, brother of Dean Winchester, the slayer of the yellow eyed demon?”

The kid introduced himself as William and asked Sam if he wanted something to eat or drink. Sam didn’t have to respond since a couple of the kids were fast on that account. He was then ushered to a place and begged for a story. He looked for his brother only to find Dean munching on food and flirting with the one who cooked it. He looked at the kids who were looking up at him and gave a slight sigh and asked what they wanted to hear.

It started out with a couple of questions which ended up with the kids arguing over details. William told them to be quiet and that it was Sam’s story to tell. So Sam began telling them the story of the striga. When he was finished one of the kids asked him if he really did fight a striga. At that moment Dean decided to come along and heard the question. He asked, “Yeah Sam. Did you really fight a striga?”

Sam made a face at Dean. He didn’t tell a lie exactly. The kids actually embellished it a little. He replied, “My brother and I both fought the striga. It was actually Dean that killed it.”

“But you helped and that makes it so you fought it,” William said.

“You think so, kid?” Dean asked, “Well Sam and I are a team when it comes to hunts. If anything he’s the best at what he does. Being a pain in the ass little brother and a good researcher.”

Sam just rolled his eyes while relaying to Dean that he was so going to get it later. Dean was just grinning as he looked at the kids. It was unexpected when the kid William walked up to him and said, “If you are the one who defeated the striga, then you must teach us what you did. I challenge you Dean Winchester to a fight. Sparring.”

Dean looked at the kid William with a puzzled look. He glanced at Sam who gave a shrug clearly stating that he was on his own. He gave a slight grin and replied, “Look uh normally I fight people that are taller than you. Not that I’m doubting your ability or anything but…” Dean grunted as a fist collided with his stomach.

The kids grimaced while William grinned, “Do you doubt me now Dean Winchester?” He put up his fists and backed into a stance. “Now teach me what you know.”

Dean looked at Sam and only got, “You handle it, Dean.”

****

“Everything looks like it did when the tribe was in Ireland,” Angela replied as she walked through the village. “It’s like nothing has changed.”

“Unlike other orders, we are proud of our traditions. You should know that Absolution,” Philadelphia replied as she walked with Angela. “We are a proud people.”

Angela glanced at Philadelphia. She always thought it strange that one of Celtics was given a Greek name but she thought it fit the girl after she heard the story. It had been too long and she hadn’t changed a bit but Angela could still sense that what happened that long ago was still on the girl’s mind. She replied, “That I know of. I suffered a black and blue arse learning that the hard way.”

“You still haven’t learned. You ran away.”

Angela stopped and turned to face Philadelphia. “Philly I left because they were after me. I didn’t want you and your nation to be a target for an escapee of that place.”

“They weren’t just after you. They were after the seal. We barely survived. We lost many of our tribe. You should have stayed.” Philadelphia turned to look at Angela. She couldn’t help but shed a tear in anger. She pulled her knife and held it to Angela’s neck. “Instead you left us to the wolves. I should kill you for daring to return.”

Angela felt the edge of the blade against her neck. She understood how unhappy Philadelphia was. She replied, “I regret leaving but then I thought it was the only way and I felt unworthy of the friendship and kindness you and your people showed me. I don’t expect your forgiveness Philly but I came to ask for your help. If you think it will ease the pain of your loss, then feel free to take my life. It is only right. Just let Sam and Dean go. That is all I ask.” She closed her eyes willing and accepting of the fate that would surely come to her.

Philadelphia blinked back tears. She was angry but she couldn’t draw blood against the one who saved her when she was a fledging of her tribe. Not against the one who had been nothing but a friend in spite of the troubles she had. She realized that she had pressed too hard on Angela’s neck and blood started to leech through. In shame she withdrew it. “I can’t and I won’t. Not for the kindness you’ve shown me. You’ve been nothing but a friend to me and you were only doing what is right. I can’t be angry about that.”

“But you have lost many of your tribe. I know that yours was the largest of the three great tribes of the Celtic guard. My mistake is making you pay for me being me,” Angela replied. She could feel the blood dripping down her neck but it was welcome.

“Do not shame me further for drawing my blade against a chosen warrior of man. You are a comrade and what I have done is the equivalent of betrayal. I know that you still seek forgiveness for being what you are but it is nothing compared to who you are,” Philadelphia stopped walking and looked at Angela. She studied her old friend for a few moments and then added, “But you don’t need to hear it from me. Your friends will show you. He will show you.”

Angela gave a wry smile. “You always were one to see things that aren’t there Philly. True my friends now have shown me much but there is still a huge debt for me to pay and I think that will take several more lifetimes for me.”

Philadelphia gave a slight smile. Angela always thought herself to be unworthy of anything good in this world. She knew part of the story of the reason. It was sad though but Philadelphia knew that it would be this lifetime that would be the point of realization for her old friend. “So you say old friend. There was another reason why there was a delay in responding to your summons. Grandmother sensed it was you and told me to send for you but as you know I have to also protect the tribe.”

“I know. I remember how long it takes before a child is considered ready to become a warrior. At least you are here. It makes sense as to why your king and queen sent your tribe here to the States. Sometimes hiding behind the unlikely works just as well as hiding in plain sight. Here in open fields is just as good as the forests of Britannia.”

At that moment Dean came stumbling in front of Angela and Philadelphia trying to catch his breath. He caught sight of Angela and rounded in on her, “Angie, I thought you had some crazy people as friends before like that old monkey in the robes but this is insane. A freaking kid tried to bench press me. Sometimes I get the feeling I’m letting a crazy person drive my car and getting us into jobs that will drive me insane.”

Angela couldn’t help but start laughing. It felt good to laugh about something that wasn’t too related to other things that were on the list. Besides it was always funny to watch Dean get flustered over something where he knew he had bitten off more than he could chew. She replied, “Maybe I am crazy Dean but I think that title goes to you for picking a fight with the leader of that generation’s set.”

Dean retorted, “Angie the kid tried to bench press me! I can’t even imagine what they are doing to Sam.”

At that moment William came around the corner looking like the cat got the canary. He only said, “It can be mistaken as cowardice if you run from a challenge Dean Winchester. At least Sam is not afraid.”

Philadelphia couldn’t help but laugh at the situation and said, “I think you better go rescue Sam while I take care of this scamp. After that, Grandmother wishes to see you.”

Angela nodded leaving Dean to be rescued from the scamp that showed up. She went in the general direction that Dean had come from, guessing that he hadn’t gone too far away. She found Sam all right and it was anything but the horror that Dean described. She didn’t know if she should smile or laugh or turn tail and run.

Sam was in no immediate danger unless you counted the two children sitting on his feet and hanging on his legs. Two were swinging from each of his arms and one just hanging on his neck going for a piggyback ride. He was trying to walk while keeping the height of his arms even and it was a futile effort at best. The rest who weren’t hanging onto him were dancing around waving bamboo poles. One of them said, “We got the Sasquatch.” The others whooped with joy while Sam made a face.

Angela couldn’t help it and knew that Sam would be in trouble if they decided to get rough in their play. She chuckled as she walked forward and said, “Oh then you must not know of the special protection a Sasquatch gets.”

One of the kids who had been swinging on Sam’s arms looked over in Angela’s direction. His face got wide eyed with astonishment like he couldn’t believe what he was seeing. Hanging on and with a free hand he pointed at her and said, “It’s Absolution!”

All of the kids stopped to look. When they saw Angela, they started screaming like kids and took off running. The one hanging on the back of Sam’s neck didn’t let go and held on and watched with his wide blue-green eyes. The only other child that didn’t run was a girl with the same blue-green eyes and she appeared to be no bigger than a five year old. She walked up to Angela with her finger in her mouth and proceeded to walk around Angela, looking until she tugged on Angela’s hand to indicate to kneel.

Angela glanced at Sam who adjusted his grip to hold onto the boy who refused to let go at the moment. She gave a slight smile and kneeled to let the girl see her. It was a surprise when the girl put her little finger in Angela’s mouth and started feeling her teeth. Angela opened her mouth slightly so she the girl could look and touch her teeth. When the girl came to her eye teeth, Angela gave a slight jump at the sensitivity but held still.

“Pointy?” The little girl looked up as she asked her question.

Angela gave a slight frown and looked at nothing in particular before she opened her mouth again and allowed her fangs to emerge. She figured it would satiate the kid’s curiosity as well as inspire a healthy sense of fear. It was surprising when the girl touched her fang with her finger and rubbed a moment. She then removed her finger allowing Angela to close her mouth.

“Pointy pretty for warrior. Warrior good person,” the little girl replied before climbing up to wrap her arms around Angela’s neck in a similar manner as her brother.

Angela was a little confused by the whole thing but she grabbed the little girl’s legs and held on to them as she stood up. She walked over to where Sam was and said, “I guess we’re in the same boat aren’t we.” She gave a slight smile and motioned to the kids they each had. “What did you and Dean do to be attacked as he put it?”

At that point, the other kids that ran away started coming back. They watched as the youngest interacted with Absolution and since she said she was good, they would accept that. Neither Sam nor Angela noticed as Sam replied, “I have no clue. Dean was off being Dean and they just dragged me here and were asking questions about some of the cases we worked on. I told them about the striga and then Dean showed up and whatever he said, the kid William challenged him to a sparring match. Dean refused and got a punch to the stomach.”

Angela could help but chuckle. She motioned for Sam to follow her. Along the way the kids would be collected by their families so there was no need to worry. She replied, “Dean should have just accepted the challenge rather than question it. He would have lived a lot longer going that route.” She adjusted her hold on the little girl who was giving her a hug through her grip.

“Angie you know Dean’s not going to hit a kid.”

“Are you sure that William was a kid?”

Sam frowned at the question. What the hell was Angela getting at? Of course William was a kid. He couldn’t be more than ten years old. Dean may be a tough guy and can dish it out with the best of them but he would never hit a kid. That was just wrong and yet here was Angela saying that Dean should have just accepted the challenge. Did she hit her head or did Dean spike her coffee again? “What are you talking about Angie? The kid couldn’t have been more than ten years old.”

“Look young but we are old,” the boy hanging on Sam’s neck said.

“Old,” the girl confirmed.

Angela stopped and turned. “They’re right. They are old. Every three of our years they age one year. It was a product of a curse or a blessing… I forget… and the Celtics now are guardians of the world. Nice to know that there is back up in terms of people with a destiny.”

Sam digested this news with surprise. No wonder Dean doubled up after been winded by that punch. “So that William kid is… thirty?”

Angela could tell that this was one of those surprises that probably equaled up to the subject of her age. Hell she was old indeed and generally most Chasers didn’t live beyond two hundred years and that was if they were lucky. As far as anyone knew, she was the oldest and it didn’t faze her one bit. It was a bit of a shock for Sam and a _really_ big surprise for Dean. She gave a slight hum as she turned around and continued walking towards the elder’s hut.

The kids that had been grouping and following were being collected one by one by their families. The parents watched Sam and Angela walk by as they brought their children to them with looks of interest before heading back to their own chores. Angela had noticed but gave it no mind since she was returning children in time for the meal hour. She just continued to explain to Sam, “Yes. The Celtics have used their gift to become a guardian force. Most warriors don’t harm children so it comes as a shock to them when Celtic children attack all of a sudden.”

“Ambushing is fun,” the boy said. “Clare is the best at it.”

“No Clyde is bestest,” the girl protested.

“I take it you’re brother and sister aren’t you?” Angela craned her neck as if to look at the girl. She gave a slight smile.

“Yes,” both children said at once. Each hugged their ride in pleasure and laughed like children.

It had been some time since Angela had heard the laughter of children. With these kids hanging off her and Sam, it reminded her of Alex, Kelly and Mason and the team they formed. Even after the shit of that case, they still stuck together. Hell she had been part of their fun before they left until that happy accident was discovered. Hearing these kids laugh, it was something else.

She remembered Philly and her siblings and kin when the tribe lived in Ireland. The children there thought she was the greatest thing since white bread or something like that. She was the de facto babysitter when the warriors went out on the hunt or to a summoning or even general things and she used to come up with games to play. Some were just for fun while others were for training/teaching purposes. Other times the children would bombard her for stories and other things. That was how Philly learned about her talent and was a popular sensation with the children.

“Sing pretty song?”

Angela stopped fully and moved her head to glance at her little passenger. “What?”

Clare asked again, “Sing pretty song?”

Angela looked at Sam who just shrugged his shoulders while grinning at her. The only time she sang was at the Point and that was a bar song not to mention the song that she sang to soothe Sam when he had a nightmare. He wouldn’t remember that unless Dean said something about it. Sam teased, “Well Angie?”

“Uh, I don’t know anything off the top of my head,” Angela replied feeling like she was going to be the butt of jokes if she gave in to the girl’s request and she was a sucker for kids. Sam knew that just as well as Dean and it seemed that Sam was going to milk this.

Clyde looked at her and asked, “Please?”

To make matters worse, Sam decided to egg them on and gave his version of the puppy dog eyes. Angela resisted the urge to scowl since she was being bombarded by cuteness and whatever it was that Sam was giving her. “Special performance eh? Who told you two about that arrangement?” She smiled as she looked at Clyde and then glanced at Clare.

“Philly told us about the lady who would sing about the rose. She said that she was a tough warrior but a gentle singer.”

“Gentle singer?”

“Shut up, Sam,” Angela muttered. “You’re not helping here.” So Philadelphia told the next several generations about her stay with the tribe. Apparently the first time she actually did sing got around and everybody knew.

“I’m not the one with the reputation around here,” Sam replied as he watched Angela debate whether or not to give in to the request. He wondered why she was so reluctant to share a part of her that people obviously admired. He knew she had a pretty good singing voice since she was better at keeping a tune than Dean and she knew songs he never heard of. “What’s the problem Angie?”

“It’s been years since I sang the song that they are asking for. And I don’t sing on demand.” She muttered the last sentence in a low voice. “I sing when I want to.”

“Either that or you don’t want Dean to actually hear you,” Sam guessed shrewdly. “Too late on that account since you’re better at singing Metallica than he is.”

“That’s not singing, that’s… emulating,” Angela finished trying to sound her usual firm self when she bossed the boys into cooperating with their injuries.

Sam gave a slight chuckle. “Right and what about that tune from the Point? What’s the problem? Besides I think you have a few fans who want to hear this.”

It was the first time that Angela completely acknowledged the remaining kids that had been following them to the elder’s hut. They were looking at her expectantly and little Clyde was giving her the look. If she had a mirror she would probably see a similar one on Clare. Oh well, it wasn’t like she was going to accidentally do something like summon some creature. The last thing she needed was another animal following her around like Cerebus. Sighing she sighed, “Alright, alright, but you owe me big time Sam.”

“What do I owe you?”

“I’ll think of something,” Angela replied as she gave a slight smile. She adjusted the weight of her charge. She gave a wry smile when Clare said something in Gaelic and chuckled. She said to the girl, “I’ll consider that. Okay I’ll sing the song about the rose but when I’m done, you all have to scat. Okay?”

The kids chorused in unison that they agreed. Angela gave a slight chuckle before clearing her throat. She made a slight movement of her head to remember the tune. As soon as she got the tune she closed her eyes and began.

_The pale moon was rising above the green mountain_

_The sun was declining beneath the blue sea_

_When I strayed with my love to the pure crystal fountain_

_That stands in beautiful vale of Tralee_

Sam listened to the song but mostly to the voice. He had heard Angela sing before but this was different. He realized that she had been holding back in terms of her voice. It was beautiful and the kids were responding to it. He also noticed that some of the adults had stopped with what they were doing and listening. Some had smiles on their faces and then he spotted Philadelphia with Dean. Great.

Angela focused on the kids as she sang. To ease her discomfort of the impromptu public performance she started walking as she worked her way through the verses of the requested song. Even with a child hanging off of her, she could hit the notes as she did that long ago. At least this time there weren’t any surprises as a result of her singing that song. She smiled as she got to the last verse.

_Though lovely and fair as the rose of summer_

_Yet ‘twas not her beauty alone that won me_

_Oh no! ‘Twas the truth in her eye ever beaming_

_That made me love Mary, the Rose of Tralee_

As the last of the notes died Angela stopped her walking and motioned with her hands as she finished. She hadn’t realized she started motioning with her hands as she sang through the verses. It was part of her performance when she actually let her true self be shown and only served to emphasize what she was singing. Now that she was finished she stopped her movements and looked at the kids. She gave a slight grin and asked them, “Alright, so how was that? Will that satisfy you enough sprats?”

The agreement from the kids was near deafening. Angela raised her brows in amusement. “Alright, you better go then.”

They took off running except for the two little hitchhikers. They refused to let go even as Dean and Philadelphia came up. It was Philadelphia that said, “Seems to me that you have… what is that word? Oh yes, you have fans.”

Angela gave a half-hearted glare. “Being cute doesn’t suit you Philly. I know the elder was asking for me so…” She made a slight motion with her hands to indicate that she needed help.

“I don’t know Angie. The look suits you,” Dean replied with a glance.

Angela narrowed her eyes and replied, “Remember the pie.”

Dean nearly groaned. She was using the pie again as blackmail. She always did that especially when she was in a mood. He wasn’t going to play her game this time. He could hold out. He replied, “Not gonna work this time. Besides how often does one get a picture of that performance?” He showed her the image he took with his camera phone knowing that she could just up and do something about it.

Angela gave a sly smile as she glanced at Sam failing to notice the look he had been giving her earlier when she sung. She then moistened her lips and gave a shrill whistle. Out of nowhere William and a couple of boys his age appeared. She then said, “William, I believe Dean is ready for a challenge but go easy on him and if you get his phone from him and give it to me, I’ll be most grateful.”

William gave a nod and charged at Dean who took off running. Sam couldn’t help but laugh as three “ten year old” boys chased him through the settlement. He said, “You know he’s gonna get you for that later.”

“I’ll be ready for it. Now Philly can you take care of this sprat so I can get what I need? We do have a case.”


	4. Chapter 4

The elderly woman looked regal in her robes and hid gave a false impression that she was weak but Angela knew that was not the case. She stood in the receiving area and was brought back to the first time she stood in the elder’s presence. That was after she rescued Philly and the girl brought her back to the tribe to be thanked.

The elder looked at her and said, “You have come a long way but you still have a journey to make. Yet not alone.”

“I do have companions now. We are on our way to a case in Lakota, Nebraska. We suspect witch activity but I have to ask, did the tribe bring the water horses?” Angela stood firm with her hands to her side. The last time she stood like that, she was wearing the clothing of the day and it was the kind of gear that would have had Dean confusing porn with reality again.

The elder looked at Angela with an approving glance. “You have not forgotten our manners. Such an emissary you were between my people and those that thought us savages. Even our normal brethren respected your attention to etiquette.”

Angela lowered her head slightly to bow for thanks. “Memories like water run deep.”

“Indeed they do and often those memories become barriers for paths that are set before you. Whatever the reason is surely that of your own mind,” the elder replied as she pointed at Angela. “However to answer your question a problem must be explained. The Rose of Tralee has been stolen from us.”

Angela raised her brow in surprise. True the Rose of Tralee was a song but it had its origins from somewhere. Most humans didn’t even know that and those that did thought it were a load of fairytales and hokum. A none too surprising thing since the actual legends that came from the tribe’s duty was the kind of thing that would produce the ‘what the hell’ face. She replied, “The Rose has been stolen? How is this possible and why?”

“The Rose of Tralee is the last line of defense in protecting one of three seals of the triquetra. Our tribe and the other two each have a piece that is protected in our own way and with our own methods.” The elder walked over to where she kept a scroll that she only brought out when teaching the children about their duty. Few outsiders were allowed to see it. Angela would be the exception.

The elder rolled it out onto a nearby table and showed Angela. On it was the image of the famous water horses. Angela had seen a glimpse of one before and that was after she accidentally got into that mess with the song. She breathed, “The Rose is a kelpie?”

“Yes.”

Angela frowned slightly. Kelpies were known for luring men and on occasion children to the watery depths. It was similar to sirens since kelpies had alluring songs as well and they could take the form of anything they wanted. Was that the thing the poor Ryan kid saw? Was it the tribe’s kelpie? Angela replied, “You know the Rose is in Lakota, don’t you?”

“We do but we cannot locate it nor leave. Our territory is too large and the seal must be guarded,” the elder replied.

Angela gave a slight nod. Okay so they were on a mission to retrieve a stolen kelpie and deal with a thief who was more likely a witch since kelpies didn’t come unless summoned or to eat. “Was is someone from the tribe? I do not mean to accuse but is it possible?”

The elder took no offense. The outsider was right to question. “It may be possible but we don’t know. As you know the Rose can be summoned and in this case is probably controlled by the thief.”

Angela raised her brows as she contemplated how much complicated this was. Initially she had suspected a kelpie since Sam pointed out the description of the thing that attacked the kid and the water way was what gave that away. She was prepared to kill the thing since it was killing people but now that it was the guardian belonging to the tribe… That was a complication. They couldn’t just kill it and it was being forced to kill. For whatever reason was something that didn’t matter at least until they figured out what the witch bitch wanted.

This was seriously going to cut in on her time with her other projects and Angela wondered if forces were deciding to work against her in this. It wouldn’t be surprising since it seemed like all anyone wanted to do lately was get her to play along with whatever their plans were. She sighed and replied, “So it could be a witch?”

“One that has the knowledge and power. Other than that, we don’t know but we are troubled that our guardian is being used for such deeds.”

“Well it would kill to protect the seal,” Angela pointed out.

“But it wouldn’t attack if properly told who was friend and who was foe. Such a thing is terrible and we are trying to rebuild,” the elder replied as she looked forlornly at the scroll. “All are still children.”

Angela gave a pensive frown. Something else was going on here and she couldn’t quite put her finger on it. Philly could have and would have volunteered to retrieve the kelpie unless it assumed a form that was not recognizable. Hell even a single warrior would have been able to go and retrieve the animal… thing. This seemed more like an excuse to ask for her help. “I understand too few remain after that incident but why are you asking this of me and my friends?”

“As you said, you were on your way to Lakota. You yourself stated that you wanted to know if there was witch activity in the area. We needed help and you came. Such is your nature even when you don’t intend to.”

“I go where I want and when I want,” Angela replied. “I’m not something that is summoned like your guardian.”

“Yet you would drop everything to help those that you consider friends. How is that not different then just happening to be traveling by the road that borders our territory?”

Angela crossed her arms while trying to be firm. She knew that she was getting defensive and it appeared that she was a petulant child but assumptions like that irked her. She did what she wanted when she wanted. The elder was trying to make it seem that it was her nature whether she wanted to or not. “I came to ask for information. Instead I am told that you are missing a guardian and you want my help in retrieving it. The thing is it doesn’t make sense. It is yours and I highly doubt that it would respond to me as it would a member of the tribe.”

It was true. The elder had contemplated this. In fact she had been intending on having Philadelphia send out her best to go and retrieve the beast. It just happened that Angela returned to the tribe with her companions in tow but she was seeking information about the perpetrator. Then the elder heard the song that the children requested of Angela.

The Rose of Tralee was the inspiration in part for the song that was actually used to summon the guardian. The tribe’s own stories spoke of the original guardian who was named Mary and thus it has been the key to the guardians that followed. All members of the tribe were taught the song but only a few could inspire more than a summoning from the Rose. When Angela sang it, it was like hearing the Rose sing her own song herself. Since that incident that happened though, the elder was shrewd enough to guess that was the reason why Absolution hardly sang at that level of beauty anymore. That and if she were to ask the girl, she ask her what was there worth singing about.

The elder looked at Angela and for the first time looked at her. Much has changed for the girl. She sensed a great tragedy occurred and things were starting on a path that was full of stumbling blocks. It was as if there was a darkness that hadn’t been there before was waging a war inside along with secrets that would ultimately end up in disaster. Yet the warrior before her had a good heart and so far had stayed true to the nature that she always had. She replied, “This is true but you and I both know the secret in taming the kelpie. Please. I ask that you help us once again. The guardian must be returned if only to ensure that a new generation will be born under our haven.”

Angela looked up at the elder the moment she heard about a new generation. Was that the reason? She asked, “The Rose is to be a mother?”

The elder said nothing. Her comment could be taken any way the listener chose. After all the tribe itself was just beginning to rebuild. She then said, “Please help us. We do believe that it is a witch that stole our guardian. For what purpose we don’t know but I do know that your voice will be the key into revealing all.”

Angela realized that she was going to be duped again into adding onto the caseload. Though why was she complaining about it was more along the lines of having something sprung on her at the last minute. That and it interrupted her plans to help Dean. If it were just a witch then it was a simple matter of being mojo back up and ganking the bitch and that would be that. She would have plenty of time to research other methods that barely walked the line.

“Whatever you are working on will reveal itself in due time. A year seems not enough but pushing too hard makes the goal seem to slip further away.”

Angela narrowed her eyes at that. It was bad enough that the tribe emulated her as some sort of hero and it was apparent that they knew about the Winchesters. Hell who didn’t? Their brand of crazy was admired and criticized and she saw how the kids reacted around them. “What do you know about that?”

“You just went through tragedy. It was felt by many who are sensitive to the spirit realm. Some became afraid.”

“People keep telling me that but it doesn’t mean anything. I finally caught up with the demon that I swore to kill or send back to the pit and it was taken care of and that was after he pissed me off.” Angela relaxed her arms slightly but they were still crossed. “Look since we are going there anyway, I’ll look for the Rose. There was a survivor and he may have seen its true form so we may have something to work on.”

The elder recognized the change in topics. Rather than talk about it, Angela preferred to leave it alone and take up other means of distraction. The elder sensed that it had to do with the companions she traveled with. She had noticed how the girl interacted with them and how they responded to her. That gave some sense of an answer and one that could be contemplated later. She replied, “Then I extend the thanks of the tribe for your help. Perhaps you will find what you are looking for when you reach Lakota.”

“Perhaps,” Angela replied. She just accepted another charity case in addition to the witch hunt. Well the two were related and Philly was an old friend. Also the tribe took her in when others wouldn’t. She owed them that kindness in return.

****

Sam sat on a log and was fiddling with some toy that the boy Clyde had brought trying to fix it. The boy and girl refused to leave when Angela went to speak to the elder of the tribe and Sam didn’t have anything better to do at the moment while waiting so he indulged. The girl Clare was watching his handiwork while clutching a stuffed toy of some sort. It puzzled Sam a little since they were five years old in appearance meaning that they would have the wisdom of fifteen year olds. Yet here they were acting like normal kids.

He was joined by Dean who was breathing heavily and holding his cell phone in one hand. Sam didn’t look at his brother since he was concentrating as he asked, “Ditched them?”

Dean put his cell phone back in his pocket and replied, “Nah. They were just messing with me. That William kid is smart and pretty good at tackling. Hell he could kick your ass.”

“No thanks.”

“Right, I forgot you were a human tree to the other kids.”

“At least I didn’t run like a little girl from a ten year old.”

Dean sat up and retorted, “Hey the kid is thirty even though he doesn’t look like it and he could pack a punch.” He rubbed where the kid punched him.

Sam gave a chuckle as he finished what his was doing. He flipped his knife shut and gave a final look and tested it. He then handed it to Clyde. “There you go.”

“Thank you Sammy Winchester.”

Dean couldn’t help but laugh. It seemed that no matter where they went there would be people who would try to use the name Sam hated more than anything. Since it came from a five year old, it would be impossible for Sam to correct the kid. He gave a slight elbow to his brother and said, “Seems like you got a new fan Sammy.”

“Don’t encourage them,” Sam replied. He stared off into space while watching brother and sister play some game they invented. He was reminded to when he and Dean were kids. Things were simple back then. They were inseparable with Dean always watching his back. Even though they lived life on the road with Dad, it was in many ways a good life. Now the clock was ticking on Dean’s life all because he traded his life so he was there now.

The thing that irked Sam was that Dean lied about it in the beginning. Sure he could understand the reasons why but that just wasn’t good enough. It was like Dean didn’t trust him knowing or he was afraid that he was going to do something equally stupid. It was deeper than that though. It was like it was some secret that Dean had and he wasn’t going to spill it… almost as if he found out… Then there was Angela.

She didn’t exactly lie about the deal. Rather she avoided talking about it at all. Sam took time to figure that one out when he played back on the conversation they had after he put the sling on once they got back into the usual. In fact the only lie or fib she ever told was the thing about Bobby helping to patch him up and even then she couldn’t look him in the eye. Now it was like she ignored the issue of the deal entirely. She had been agreeable to helping save Dean’s ass but as to details and even plans... she shut him out. For what reason he could only guess at.

Dean was watching the kids play and a glance at Sam told him that his brother was thinking about the deal again. He appreciated the effort Sam was putting into it but he had to convince him to let go. If Sam found out about that clause… He had faith that Angela would find something but she didn’t have to close herself off completely. He knew Sam asked her for help and the result was a bitch face and moping as well as ignoring everything under the sun. Dean tried to explain that Angela was just adjusting to her mojo but that really didn’t fly anymore. Dean also suspected that Angela was reacting to certain things and didn’t know why but hell it was plain to him as a flashing neon sign.

Deciding to nip the moping in the bud, Dean asked, “Sam that was some performance Angie gave right?”

Sam looked at his brother with a slight frown. “I guess. I mean I’ve never heard her sound like that before.”

“I don’t know about you but I think she was holding out on us. Too bad she can live forever. She might’ve made a fortune off her voice.”

“I doubt it. She didn’t want to but she did it for the kids.”

“She’s a sucker for kids Sam,” Dean replied as he leaned forward to rest his arms on his knees. “Folds like a bad hand when it comes to them. Think she ever raised one?”

“What?” Sam looked at Dean wondering where this line of questioning was going. Dean never talked about Angela’s personal life nor was into speculating about it. In fact he was content with her explaining things when the issue came up.

“Well it would explain why she prefers being around them and would do anything if they ask her. You and me, we have to work at it. Hell she doesn’t even flinch with the puppy dog look you give her.”

“Dean I think that is an off limit topic,” Sam replied feeling a little uncomfortable.

“Well it makes sense if you look at it. She is about five hundred years old so maybe she found time to have a little fun and try to be normal like you did. Can you imagine maybe running into one of her descendants or something like that?” Dean watched his brother start to squirm under the topic. Sam was always the more sensitive when it came to other people’s lives but this was just plain entertaining. The reaction was one that Dean had never seen before in Sam and it was interesting.

“Dean. Please stop.”

“Don’t be such a girl Samantha. Might as well face that possibility though I think it might be a bit freaky maybe on her end.”

Sam sighed trying not to lose his temper. Dean did crap like this to goad him and he found that using Angela as a means to goading him, he found he didn’t like it. “Dean, just stop okay.”

Dean just grinned. He knew Sam didn’t like it when he used Angela and her private life to tease him with it. It was time to stop now since he didn’t want the kids to see the infamous bitch face. “Just a thought, Samantha. Hey kid, you wanna see something cool?”

****

Philadelphia watched the Winchesters as they interacted with the two youngest. It was old habit to keep a stern and watchful eye over the children. It was the way of the tribes. Children were watched over carefully until they were old enough to participate in minor activities that contributed to the tribe. When they were William’s age, they were given patrol assignments in short shifts to practice the skills they learned.

The two youngest were not your average children. They had a certain sensitivity about them that was worthy of the elder’s position within the tribe. They were still being taught the basics of defense and offense. It was just enough to defend themselves but eventually they would have specialized training.

Philadelphia studied the Winchester brothers as they interacted. The elder brother Dean was one of those that preferred to keep a front of self-confidence even if he was scared or not sure if things would work out. He had attempted to flirt with her a couple of times especially after she told William to stop trying to spar with him. She could also see that there was a burden hanging on his shoulders.

Philadelphia had heard much on the wind about the events of the past few weeks. The scouts that had been sent out reported that there was demon activity around a particular area in Wyoming. The events that happened there she thought were disturbing. She had refrained from mentioning it to Angela when they talked thinking that it would bring back bad memories and she wasn’t sure she wanted to know exactly what happened.

Grandmother had said that there had been great cry of anguish. Philadelphia knew better to trust the elder’s judgment on things like that. The elder said that such a cry meant great pain and that such pain would bring a force that would be felt by all. The scouts brought back the report that the demons that had been active in nearby areas went quiet as if to hide. They were afraid of something the scout had said.

What they demons were afraid of were never found now that the Rose had been stolen from them. Philadelphia knew that Grandmother was going to ask Angela for her help in that. Philadelphia thought that she could easily send one of her own warriors to seek out the Rose and try to get it back. Yet the elder said that Absolution could do it and she wouldn’t be alone. She said that it was something Absolution must see for herself.

Philadelphia knew that Grandmother was very sensitive to the workings of the spirit realm. The sensitive ones were the basis of helping to protect the seals. She didn’t like appealing to Angela especially if she was going through something but knowing the girl, she would accept and help the tribe. Angela never did turn her back on them. The king and queen sent word about letters that had arrived from her.

Philadelphia then turned her attention to the younger Winchester. She watched as he fixed little Clyde’s toy with care even though he was deep in thought. Recalling when she had her patrol attack the intruders, Philadelphia remembered how Angela jumped into the fray.

Angela had put herself in between her and the Winchesters and the force in which she knocked her off Sam, Philadelphia surmised that they were close. Angela had been just as protective when she stayed with the tribe and yet it was different.

Philadelphia was not as sensitive as the elder but she could sense that something was off about Sam. She had watched as Dean would glance at his brother as if to check up on him and how he would sneak glances at Angela. Whatever happened that led to Dean killing the demon Azazel greatly affected Sam and Angela as well and Dean was concerned over it.

It was an interesting observation to Philadelphia as she decided to join them and the children. She came up with a smile as she spoke to the children in Gaelic her greeting and then switched to English asking, “Have you two been bothering out guests?”

“No milady,” both children chorused. Then Clyde said, “We want to keep them company.”

“Did you ask if they didn’t mind?”

“It’s no problem Philadelphia,” Sam said. “They’ve just been playing and we’re just waiting for Angie.”

Dean took the opportunity to ask, “Why the name Philadelphia? Aren’t you Irish or something?”

“Celtic, Dean,” Sam corrected.

“You know what I mean, College Boy.”

Philadelphia watched the banter between the brothers. It was not a typical relationship she had seen of siblings but it was evident that they were close. She replied, “It’s Greek. City of love I think is the meaning. I understand that there is a city called that here. My parents named me that because they met a Greek woman while they were in France and it was to remember her and her kindness.”

“I thought it was because you were born in Philly,” Dean replied.

“No. County Clare in Ireland,” Philadelphia replied with a smile. “I am curious about something. How did you meet Angela? Most encounters are more of dropping out of the sky kind.”

Dean glanced at Sam and they spoke silently. It wasn’t like there was anything else to do. Dean started off by describing their first case together. Philadelphia took the opportunity to pull the children towards her so that they may listen.


	5. Chapter 5

Haley checked her wardrobe to make sure that her wardrobe was ready for the evening. She was the second stringer since Ruby Rose was the star and that was because she was the best. Haley had no illusions about her career. She knew that she would never be as good as Rose but lately she began to think that there was something off about the girl.

Rose could sing and that was nothing new. Yet when Haley heard about what happened to that boy, she wondered if Rose had anything to do with that. She had seen Rose leave the club after her performance with the boy. Yet Genevieve said that Rose took a walk with the boy and came back before the incident that drove the boy to madness.

Haley wasn’t convinced of that though. She knew that Rose had been out when it happened because she had stayed late to go over what she was going to sing and play, since she could play piano, and she never saw Rose come back in. Well not at the time Gen said she did. It was way later and Rose looked like she had gone for a swim in her best dress.

Actually, Haley had noticed that on the nights that Rose performed, she got this watery gleam in her eyes. They flickered like when the sun reflected off water. Haley watched as she had seen the guys Rose chose to hang out with fall for that look. Then they turned up dead. She was suspicious about it and wondered if Rose and Gen were serial killers or something. She wanted to tell the police but she really didn’t have any proof and the police seemed to believe Gen especially after they interviewed Rose the first time.

She was still thinking about it when Genevieve knocked and then entered asking, “Have you selected your outfit?”

Haley replied, “Yes Gen. Are you sure about the duet with Lisa?”

Lisa was a part timer. She occasionally worked in the evenings with Haley or Nicole mostly for duets. Sometimes if she needed the money she was given a night and one of the others had a night off. That was a rare treat for any of them.

Genevieve replied, “It’s been a while since Lisa sang. I figured we might change it up this evening. Besides I think it’s time we expanded our net of talent. Don’t you think?” She looked at her second stringer as if she were supposed to challenge her authority.

Haley was suspicious slightly but it wasn’t too unusual. The amateur nights were scheduled so that Gen could scout for new talent. Maybe she wanted to do something like a program bill or something. Like have someone perform before the headliner sort of thing. Gen did say she wanted to expand the entertainment since there was already the band and dancing available. “You planning on allowing amateurs on tonight?”

“That and I think I’ll check out the street musicians too. We may find some talent. I might even get a couple of guys to participate.” Genevieve looked at the wardrobe that Haley selected and started mentally comparing to what Lisa would look good in. The girls she had did have talent but none could compare to Ruby Rose. What Genevieve wanted was competition for her star. A little competition never hurt. Besides nothing could stop her now that Club Albion was fast becoming the most popular hangout for old and young people alike.

Haley studied her reflection in the mirror as she held up earrings to see how they would look. This was unusual for Gen to suggest recruitment from the street musicians. She usually selected from the amateurs that performed but those ended up not working out all the time. Mostly it was because they discovered the demanding standards of Gen and they balked at it. What did they expect? Singing careers were just as hard as any other job. She replied, “A little different from your usual recruitment tactics.”

“Well the amateurs have been balking lately and street musicians keep trying. They make pennies with their drabbles and still keep coming back. That in my mind is real dedication.” Genevieve studied the other outfits that Haley wore. The girl may not be as good as Rose but she had good taste in clothing and she was good at picking songs that fit well with her voice pitch.

“Then you should have no problem. You might even find a better duet set. You always like those for the couples,” Haley replied.

“Yes. We don’t want to lose the couples. Singles are good but we do cater to all and my stars have fans of all kinds. Many that would die to meet you all.” Genevieve then left.

Haley didn’t move or do anything until after Gen left. Somehow that last phrase had a chill go down her spine. Now she was certain that Gen knew something about the incidents that had been happening here in town. The lies about Rose’s whereabouts and then that poor boy surviving and he had been in Rose’s company. Something was not right but what was she going to do? Honestly she hoped that a stranger would ride into town and figure it out. Obviously the local cops were not going to be any help especially if they were enamored with Rose. Haley put down the earrings she had been trying on and picked up the brush to brush out her hair. She tried to keep a calm composure when she heard a knock at her door and Rose walked in.

****

Lakota was a medium sized town when the Impala pulled in early evening. Angela pulled up in front of a nondescript motel that looked fairly better than the others they had previously stayed in and glanced at Sam and Dean. Dean was fast asleep in the back seat and Sam was staring out the window and appeared to be deep in thought but Angela knew better. He was pissed and he was being nice about it.

After her visit with the elder, she got a call on her cell. The ID told her who it was and she really couldn’t afford not to answer it. Besides it had to be important. She answered, “Talk to me princess.”

_I did some research on the intricacies of crossroad deals. Angie, it doesn’t look too good._

Angela sighed. She had a feeling something like that would crop up. She replied, “So what’s the verdict?”

_Well, your stipulation about Sam puts the demon in a bind. The deal was one year for Sam and if Dean welches out of it Sam dies. Your added stipulation sort of clinched the deal for Dean. Dean dies and Sam stays alive and relatively the demon is safe from you. However if you push and try to break it, that’s when the stipulation comes into play._

“So in other words, I just made things worse,” Angela replied as she pinched the bridge of her nose. Once again she mucked up and now Dean was paying the price for it. John’s handshake and smile were pretty much a waste on her. “Isn’t there anything else?”

_Well you do have the option of threatening the demon. Though I figured you have something else in mind._

“Akira, I…”

_Don’t tell me. I probably don’t want to know. You and I both know that you do like a good fight every now and then. Besides I did some research on that other thing that you mentioned in your last email. I know you would tell me to leave it alone but you know me and don’t worry. No one else knows about it._

Angela made a slight face as she replied, “Well maybe a few but only because I let my emotions get the better of me.”

_And you are a much better person for it. The Ice Bitch needs to thaw a little._

Angela gave a slight chuckle. She then replied, “Yeah and in doing that I muck up things Princess. Seriously though, is there anything else you can dig up? I got Dean into this mess first by not even trying to stop him and then I go and make the deal on his behalf like his father and end up damning him utterly.”

_I’m sorry. I’ll keep looking though and I already gathered what is necessary for the red tape thing you just grit your teeth over._

“Thanks. If you start that, I can try through that. I have to fix what I did. I damned Dean. I just have to fix this.”

_I know. I better get going since I have to teach my evening class for you know who. Oh and Austin says hello._

Angela gave a pensive smile. Akira was always trying to fix her and Austin up but Angela wouldn’t bite. You didn’t do that to people who you regard as close friends. She replied, “No on what you are planning Princess. It is not like that.”

_Right. I bet it has to do with a certain pair of brothers. I’ll leave it at that and get back to you on what I find. Don’t worry we’ll find the answer._

“I hope so because I’m done with this crap.”

_No you’re not. You and I both know that you will continue to fight. You just need to find your driving force. Catch you later._

Angela listened as the phone clicked to cut the connection. She sighed as she put her cell phone in her pocket as she thought about what her next move was. It was completely unexpected when she heard Sam ask her, “So what did you do?”

When Angela realized that Sam had eavesdropped on her conversation, she realized that the jig was up. However she was better at refusing to talk than Dean so she could attempt to get him to drop the issue for now. Or better yet make a big deal about something beside the point. “You’ve been spying on me?” Her defenses were up.

Of course Sam had to play and he replied, “What?”

“You were spying on me weren’t you?” Angela hated using this tactic but she wasn’t willing to get into that conversation that was eventually going to be addressed. “I can’t believe this. At least I give you privacy with your phone calls.”

“Most phone calls don’t consist of a discussion about being involved with Dean’s deal,” Sam retorted.

“I don’t know what you are getting at so just drop it.” Angela turned to walk away.

“Angie, did you get involved?”

Angela didn’t turn to look at Sam. She replied, “Drop it Sam. It’s none of your damn business.”

“Dean is my business and you know that. Is that why you act like a bitch one minute and then your old self the next? Is it guilt?”

Angela felt her temper rise. She twirled on her heel and faced Sam. Taking a deep breath she replied, “You don’t know a thing about me. Neither you nor Dean know a damn thing.”

“I know that your call mentioned something about fixing something. What did you do? Did you summon the demon like you did for Dad?”

“Yes, I did,” Angela replied. She didn’t shout but her teeth were gritted as she spoke firmly. “Is that what you want to know? There I said it. You can say what you want because I already heard the same song just a different verse. Just stay out of Sam. Just…” She then turned around and left.

As Angela sat in the driver seat after killing the ignition, she thought about that. Maybe it had been wrong to keep that from Sam and hell she had badgered Dean to be honest about his deal when it was made. She had gotten comfortable with living in the shield that Dean had provided and she shouldn’t have done that. She was just lucky that she didn’t break anything in the process. Sighing she pulled the key out and got out of the car to go check in. She didn’t for once hear her name being called.

Sam had been silent the whole trip from the Celts to Lakota. He knew he shouldn’t have eavesdropped on her phone call but when she mentioned Dean and his deal to whoever she was talking with, he grew curious. He had gone to look for her and left the kids with Dean and Philadelphia when he found her and he was going to say something when she pulled out her phone.

He heard her mention something about her trying to fix it and her comment about making things worse. He wanted to know why she thought that. If she went to summon the demon, she must have had her reasons for it. She went with Dad for his deal and even offered to take Dad’s place to bring back Dean and he figured that was what she did but the bit about making it worse? What could she have done to make a deal like Dean’s worse?

Looking at it now he realized it had been a poor choice of words to come right out and ask what she did. She tried to switch attention to the fact that he had been spying on her and that turned into him trying to bring it back to his original query. The thing was she didn’t shout or even curse using Dean’s sailor vocabulary but spoke in that coldly polite tone and that made things worse. In the end she shut down and walked away.

When he tried to talk to her again later, she didn’t respond and he said something along the lines about her acting like a bitch. All she said was, “You should talk.”

They didn’t say anything as she drove having been provided with instructions on the back roads to get to Lakota. Dean mercifully fell asleep after being giving an icy glare through the rear view mirror when he tentatively asked about playing music. Angela drove looking straight ahead and gunned the engine looking like a still statue.

They pulled into Lakota with little ceremony and she sat for a moment after killing the engine. Sam thought she was going to say something but she seemed to have thought better of it and got out silently. He called to her but she walked on as if she didn’t hear him. He waited until something landed in his lap and he realized that it was a set of room keys that she had tossed through the open window. She paid again.

Having enough, Sam got out and went to where she had stuck the key into the trunk lock and she turned it. It barely popped up when he pushed down on it to shut it. “Angie, can we talk?”

Angela looked at Sam. She had been working herself into a frenzy with her temper the entire trip. She didn’t know why she wanted to get into a fight with Sam. Maybe she was feeling guilty for keeping secrets. Could she even argue to her state of mind at the time? To her that seemed the coward’s way out. In a way she knew what she was doing when she screwed Dean royally. The hard part was telling Dean that. Dean’s outbursts she could take.

Realizing that Sam wasn’t going to budge, Angela turned to lean on the trunk and fold her arms across. Taking a breath she replied, “What about?”

 _That’s a start._ Sam imitated Angela’s movement so that they were sitting side by side. He thought about what he wanted to say. This was going to be a landmine field since it was obvious that the whole thing bothered her. “About earlier.”

Angela looked downward at the ground. She knew that it was going to come back to that. She handled it badly then. “What specifically? I’ll try not to explode over it.”

“Were you there when Dean made the deal?” That was a safe ground to start off with.

“Yes,” Angela replied. After a slight pause she added, “He tried to ditch me. He didn’t want me to come but I chose to. He… needed someone there.” She made a funny expression with her lip as she said the last part.

That was something Dean didn’t tell him and Sam wondered why. Every time Angela told a little bit about herself, he found he wanted to know more. This, even though it involved Dean, was no exception. The next one was hard to ask but the first one started the ball rolling. “Did you summon the demon and did what you did for Dad?”

“Yes.” To Angela it sounded like they were playing twenty questions or some stupid game like that. So she was going to make the effort to add details but some things she wasn’t ready for. Still if it came up, she would do her best to answer. She continued, “I helped with the summoning and what I did for your father was broker the deal.”

Sam frowned in confusion. It was like she was referring herself as a crossroads demon. “Broker?”

Angela gave a slight nod. Dean knew the details but not Sam. Better they both know. She explained, “It’s a loophole with creatures of the supernatural. As I told Dean, for simplicity’s sake, the vamp side is demon… just a product of genetics and evolution. There is a proviso that allows for a broker to intercede on behalf of the party wanting to make a deal.”

“So you came up with the terms?”

“No. The demon did.” Angela continued to look at the ground. As she did so, she put the heel of her right foot on the toe of her left. “I was foolish to not fight for better terms though really with demon deals what makes better terms?”

Sam listened. He didn’t believe that and voiced that, “I find it hard to believe that you wouldn’t fight. You would do anything.”

Angela gave a slight toss of her head. “Sure. I offer mine in place of Dean’s and demon doesn’t bite. Said she was afraid of retaliation or something like that. I would have done that anyway.” She gave a slight shrug of her shoulders. She would. Even cursed she would go down swinging.

“I could imagine demons being afraid of you. You can be downright scary when you’re pissed.” Sam could understand why she would feel she screwed Dean if she thought that she didn’t fight hard enough. He had noticed that she didn’t take failure very well. That escaped demon was one of those occasions. “Is that why you feel you screwed Dean?” Sam looked at Angela hoping she would look at him in the eye like she used to when she talked to him. He was to get his wish.

Angela turned to look at Sam. She couldn’t tell either of them about what she did with her stipulation. Not yet at least. She could admit to what she was feeling at the time. “Dean was hurting and I was laboring under the idea that I let him down.” She sighed, “I get the feeling Dean will kill me for this or at least try to force you into a payback prank but Dean…”

Sam got it. Dean depended upon her to watch out for him when he couldn’t. Funny thing was she didn’t do just that, she was looking out for Dean too especially if she was trying to find a way for him out. “I get that. It just seems that you set high standards for yourself. Isn’t there some saying that you’re going to set yourself up for a fall or disappointment every time?”

Sam did have a point but Angela knew that there was more to it. That was something she wasn’t ready to touch completely. At least the parts that were sore spots like... She replied, “That is true but I guess part of it is when you’ve seen as much as I have and seeing the world pass you by especially the bad things… you try to make things better and when it fails you try harder until you get to a point that you are sure that there is only one way. Another part is personal experiences. The past can influence decisions. So I guess it’s a desire to pretty much save everyone I can. Each failure just furnishes the desire which makes me a hopeless case.” Angela gave a wry smile.

“Is that why you worked alone until now?”

“See why I was a pain in the ass before?” Angela gave a slight smirk before changing it into a slow smile.

“But you weren’t always alone weren’t you?” Sam was starting to understand more about Angela. “Not with all the people we’ve seemed to meet like the Celts and your friends like Austin and Akira.”

Angela gave a slight nod with a slight smile. “I do have a tendency to get close to people. Though for some reason things happen and then I go back to my wandering ways.” She adjusted her position by switching the position of her feet. She sighed and looked upwards at the fast approaching night. They should be getting into their rooms. “So does this count as a talk?”

Sam looked upwards to see what she was looking at. He turned to see Dean still fast asleep and he wondered if someone slipped him something or other. He then looked back at Angela. He replied, “It could. At least you’re better about talking about what’s bothering you after you’ve cooled down.”

Angela stopped looking at the sky to look back at Sam. “You’re right Sam. Thank you but be patient with my temper. I’m still getting used to a few things up here.” She pointed to her temple to indicate her current predicament with her powers. “Ava and… well they were right about how easy it is.”

Sam gave her a look. “Are you going dark side?” It came out before he could stop it. “I’m sorry.”

“No it’s okay,” Angela replied holding up her hands to placate him. She also stood up at the same time to reinforce that. “It’s okay Sam. I ask myself that every damn day. What I meant was that the temptation to abuse it is great. I just need to work on building a wall in there to regulate that. Just takes practice.” She gave a small smile.

Sam peered at her. As usual she was assuming that bravado Dean would do when he tried to convince him things would be all right. He gave a slight raise of his brows, “I’m not convinced completely but…”

“Sam, I’ll make you a deal,” Angela interrupted. She saw the look appear on his face and realized she may not have used the best choice of words but then again what better way to word it? “Relax I’m not talking about that.”

Sam realized that he was reacting to something that he assumed. He felt foolish about it. “Sorry, your choice of words.”

“I know,” Angela replied. She sighed and continued what she wanted to say, “What I meant to say was I’ll continue on my merry way with what’s up here,” she pointed at her head, “but if I have a problem, I’ll say something. I’ll let you and Dean in on it and maybe it will work out. Okay?” She put her hand on Sam’s shoulder and something happened.

_She was standing in an old warehouse but no one could see her. Sam was there but he wasn’t alone. He was with a woman with dark hair and a sour countenance but Angela saw something else in that look. The woman was a demon. The smell of that blood filled her nostrils. There were three?_

_Angela turned to look and saw a demon being held in a devil’s trap. She could smell three sources but one was mingled with human blood. She looked at Sam and watched as he expelled a demon in a way she hadn’t seen in years. She watched with widened eyes and turned away. She then spotted Dean and the pained look that he had on his face…_

Angela found herself back to the present wondering what just happened. It had been a while since she had any vision like that. It seemed so random though. Most of them were related to cases that she worked on. This seemed like it was the future. She wasn’t sure though.

“You okay?”

Angela gave a slight shake of her head. “Just had a funny feeling… like I was forgetting something or other,” she replied. “Weird.”

Sam was going to say something when Dean said, “Well it’s nice to see you two talking again. So we gonna unload my baby and get something to eat or what? I’m starving.” He got out of the car.

Angela gave a slight shrug of her shoulders and turned to pop the key into the trunk. The lid popped open. She replied, “Nice of you to join us Dean.” She opened the lid and looked in. What she saw had her frown and open her mouth.


	6. Chapter 6

“Okay so how did they get inside the trunk?”

Angela shrugged her shoulders and raised her brow as if to say she didn’t know at Dean while she looked down at the bed where currently two children were sitting side by side watching the three adults with apparent interest. She gazed down at them with a look that told them that they were in trouble as she crossed her arms while continuing to look at them. “Technically it’s not hard to pop the Impala’s trunk though I suspect it was through other means.”

Angela was amused that the children had actually managed to sneak their way in without any of them noticing. Then again she wasn’t exactly one to sniff everything she came across even if she could tell if it was human or not. She was also surprised that they didn’t manage to hurt themselves in there with all of their gear.

Dean was just surprised to find that kids had gotten themselves into his baby and he also had the slight worry that Angela’s Celt friends were going to raise holy hell when they find that the kids were missing. That chick Philadelphia told him as much that they were very protective over their children and he knew that they could kick ass. “So you’re saying they picked the lock then?”

Angela shrugged her shoulders. “It’s possible. Well?” She looked at the children sitting there looking at them.

Clare was the first to speak, “It was easy. Open trunk, we climbed in.”

Angela couldn’t help but make a small smile. She used to say something similar when she was caught doing things by her mother. She glanced over at Dean and judging by the look on his face, he was thinking of a similar time when Sam was a kid and Sam was wondering what the heck they were going to do with a bunch of kids.

It was Dean who spoke, “Okay but you two are in trouble. Do you have any idea how worried your… uh tribe…” he looked over at Angela uncertainly who gave him a nod of encouragement and then continued, “… Right your tribe is real worried.”

Clare and Clyde looked at Dean before Clyde said, “We wanted to be with pretty warrior and Sasquatch. They are fun to be with.”

It was rather funny to watch Angela and Sam pinch the bridge of their noses in exactly the same way and at the same time. Dean would have made a joke of it right then and there but it would have been inappropriate in front of the kids. He couldn’t help it though when he said, “Seems like I’m not the only one who thinks that you’re freakishly huge Sam.”

“Eat me,” Sam replied as he released his nose. “So what are we going to do about this? We can’t keep them here.”

“We want to stay,” both kids chorused.

Dean replied, “Sam’s right kids. What we’re doing is dangerous and we don’t want you to get hurt.”

The kids began to pout and give the look. Angela hid her eyes knowing that she would fold if she looked. She just managed to make it look like Dean stuck his foot in his mouth or something pained her. It was a good cover since she was sure that no matter what either of them said, the kids weren’t going back until they found the Rose. That reminded Angela to explain about the kelpie but first they had to deal with the kids.

Dean realized he was dealing with a mini Sam and Samantha with that look and wished he could pull off the look that Angela was giving. He knew she was avoiding having to look at that look full on. Damn it was just like when Sam turned it on full charm to convince him to ask Angela to stick with them. The boy Clyde looked at him and said, “Please. We want to help you find the Rose.”

Clare followed her brother’s lead and turned her gaze towards Sam. “The Rose is missing. It is important to the tribe.”

Angela finally managed to take a peek. When she did, she wanted to burst out laughing. Dean was getting ready to fold badly under Clyde’s look. He always did fall for that look. She had seen Sam give it and Dean caved. Watching Clare work on Sam was something else.

Sam was trying to be firm but he was learning the hard way that when it came to little girls with cute expressions, resistance was futile. Angela watched with great amusement and since no one was watching her, she took the opportunity to sneak her cell out of her pocket to take a picture. She wanted to remember this moment mainly because for a few moments she wasn’t worried about the job or her mission to end Dean’s deal. Plus it was good blackmail material should either of the boys tried to do a prank in the future. Though of course she always had the pie card and the laptop card, the latter she learned from Dean.

Having pity on the boys since she started seeing Sam start to cave and Dean was going to burst she said, “I don’t think we have much of a choice. We can’t take them back at this point since we are here and we have the case.”

“No kidding Angie,” Dean replied, “but what about them? We just can’t take them wherever we go. You know how we do the job.”

That was a sticking point. However Angela could see a few ways to work around it. She could turn it around to make it so that it was a brother-brother case. Maybe that’s what the boys needed and she certainly needed something else to divert her attention. It was going to be a while before the princess could get back to her and her other contacts were busy too. Besides she was the best choice. She replied, “I do know which is why I’ll look after them and you two work the case.”

Dean raised his brow. Did he hear her right? “You? You’re going to watch them while we work the case? Angie this was your find in the first place. You should be on it.”

“Besides I think looking after kids and entertaining them with a song are two different things,” Sam added.

Angela gave both brothers a look that clearly said they were nuts. She turned to Sam and asked, “And what makes you the expert Sam? The last I checked having a mob of kids attempt to ‘capture the Sasquatch’ didn’t exactly qualify either? And Dean, running away from a ten year old is hardly impressive considering you’ve baby sat Sam when he was in diapers.”

“Hey, that kid was thirty even though he didn’t look like,” Dean pointed out unnecessarily. “Anyway aren’t they supposed to be roughly fifteen? Why aren’t they doing the teen rebellion thing? That I can handle since Sam was moody at that age like he is now.”

Sam scowled at Dean. “Jerk.” He glanced at Angela who had her hands in fists and resting on her hips. He recognized that posture well. It was better to just nod and agree or you were setting yourself up for a load of pain in the form of humiliation. He tried to diffuse it before Dean ran aground. The question was probably going to annoy her but after what they talked about, he had to be sure. He asked, “Are you sure about this Angie?”

“What is it with you two? Yes,” Angela replied. Frankly this was more entertaining than the image of Dean running around butt naked while obeying her compulsion. She had to thank Dean for giving her that thought when they talked at Bobby’s. Kidding aside now she added, “Look you two obviously were going to fold like a bad hand so let’s say for everyone’s sanity they are staying. You need someone to watch them so they don’t get into trouble and I do know a thing or two about kids.”

“Have any of your own?”

Sam gave Dean an elbow and muttered his name. That wasn’t the time or the place for that. He also really didn’t want to hear about that. “Dean.”

“No, but I have been a babysitter on occasion,” Angela replied wondering why Sam was so uncomfortable with Dean asking about her experience with kids. She watched as they looked at her with a funny expression. “What? You didn’t think I was always the tough loner did you?”

The looks were hardly reassuring but Angela knew that there had been enough surprises and chick flick moments and other crap that made life interesting in between all the fighting and everything. She would take charge of the kids and that would be that. At the moment though she could second Dean’s earlier declaration about starving and that was including her new regimen of less food. She said, “Now that is settled can we at least go find some food. I believe Dean said he was starving. Clyde, Clare.”

Without a word of protest, both children slid off the bed and followed Angela. Each took the proffered hand as the door opened without anyone touching it. Dean watched as the kids went without question gave a slight smirk. He looked at Sam who was still giving him the look that said that they really shouldn’t have them along. “At least she’s nicer about being bossy.”

Sam gave a slight roll of his eyes as he gave up and followed. “Whatever Dean.”

****

“So what about sleeping arrangements?”

Angela gave a slight twist of her mouth at Dean’s question which tried to hide her amusement. It seemed that Dean was more on board with this than she previously though. Then again it was probably the fact the kids used the look on him and it probably reminded him of a happier time. She raised a brow as she took a sip of tea and replied, “You planning on a slumber party? Aren’t you a little old for that?”

 Clyde and Clarence couldn’t help but giggle as they chomped their way through green beans. That was an anomaly to Dean since most kids he knew put up a fight when it came to eating their vegetables. He scowled slightly and replied, “Yeah right. Like I’m planning on spending time painting nails and sharing how much I love Paris Hilton or something.”

“I don’t know about that but I would say that eating and drinking and talking about cars would be more your thing,” Angela replied. She shared a grin at the kids who were giggling like crazy.

Clyde and Clare knew that they would be staying with Absolution. She had made that clear when she told them to come with her when they went out to eat. That and they knew a person with mother instincts when they saw one even if that person didn’t have any children of her own. They continued on eating while they listened to their guardian talking with Dean.

Dean was getting flustered with all the giggling the kids were doing. It was like they knew what was going on and they were aiming to milk it for what it was worth. He looked towards Sam who was calmly eating a salad. _A salad of all things? You are such a girl Sam._ He asked, “Don’t you have anything to say about this?”

Sam had been watching the kids while he had been eating. It was true that they should have been acting like fifteen year olds but for some reason, they were acting like five year olds. Something was off about that but Angela didn’t seem to mind. In fact, she rather liked being thrown into the role of babysitter. At least the kids listened to her and she didn’t have to bully them like she did with him and Dean. He replied to Dean’s question, “Not my problem Dean.”

“Dude it is so your problem since Angie is riding with us and now we have little hitchhikers with us and they’re laughing at us.”

“They’re laughing at you Dean,” Sam replied. He gave a slight smile towards Angela who was looking amused by the whole thing. “You’re a regular comedian.”

Dean uttered the name without reserve, “Bitch.”

The kids continued giggling. Clyde said, “Dean is funny.”

“Dean. Do you have to swear in front of them?” Sam motioned with his eyes. “And Angie why didn’t you say anything?”

Angela gave a slight movement of her shoulders as she sat up and pulled out a small wad of cash. She flipped out a certain amount as she looked at the kids. They looked at her and gave a slight nod. She got up and gave a slight wag with her finger they got up and followed. Clyde looked at the brothers and said, “It’s okay Dean, We hear that word all the time when no one thinks we’re listening.” He gave a slight grin while Clare giggled.

Sam couldn’t help but smile slightly. The kids were something else. They were willing to mess with him and Dean but they were obedient to a simple word or gesture from Angela. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad but then again they were on a case. If something happened, the kids could get into trouble.

“See Sam? No harm done,” Dean gave a grin as he got up. “Damn and she paid again. I hate it when she does that.” He went after them trying to stop her from paying.

Sam sighed as he put his fork down. He was finished anyway. He barely stood up when Dean caught up to Angela and started talking about paying for the bill. That was three times this week she paid for things and it drove Dean crazy. Sam didn’t get it either. She threw money away like it was nothing but she was good at budgeting. It was a running contradiction with her. Sam found it best to not say anything when she paid. Dean hadn’t learned that lesson yet but at least they weren’t making a scene.

As Sam walked towards them, he saw that the kids weren’t around. While Dean and Angela were talking, he looked around. They couldn’t have gone far. He was right for Clare appeared after tugging on his jacket sleeve. When he looked down she asked, “You give ride Sammy?”

Sam looked around and saw Clyde pulling on Dean’s jacket. Angela turned from paying and gave a slight grin towards him. He knew now that she had known all along where they were. She probably had her eye on them while Dean tried to get her to stop paying for things. He felt a small hand slip inside his large one and give a slight tug. He looked down to see Clare still looking up at him. Sighing he picked up the girl who smiled up at him as she grabbed him around the neck.

Meanwhile Dean was dealing with Clyde who had asked for the same thing. Angela gave a slight smile as she finished paying for the meal. She liked having the kids especially how Sam and Dean reacted around them. It was comical since it had been a while since they felt clueless about five year olds. She watched as Dean picked Clyde up and turned her attention to the cashier who said, “You have two wonderful children. Such devotion to their father and uncle.”

Dean would have choked if Angela hadn’t said, “They are my sister’s children. She couldn’t find a babysitter and you know how that goes.”

The cashier appeared slightly clueless but accepted that explanation. Angela took her change just as Sam came up carrying Clare on his back and said to him and Dean in a low voice, “We better get going before she thinks of something else.”

She led the way out of the diner and started on the walk back towards the motel. Once they were a sufficient distance away, Angela couldn’t help but chuckle. It came out as a low rumble.

“What’s so funny Angie? Sam and I are the ones being a kid taxi service,” Dean asked as he adjusted his grip on Clyde. Surprisingly to him the kid was pretty light.

“Not my fault they wanted to hang around you two.” Angela chuckled as she slowed her pace so there wasn’t too much distance between them.

“We wanted to,” Clare said.

“We never had this much fun back home,” Clyde chimed in, “but we will be good. We promise.”

“We promise,” Clare added. “We will help you find the Rose.”

Dean gave a slight frown. “What are they talking about Angie? That’s the second time they mentioned a rose.”

Angela gave a slight sigh. “They mean the Rose of Tralee.”

Sam frowned, “But Angie, that’s a song. The one you sang earlier. Why would they say they need to find something that exists in a song?”

“Because the Rose of Tralee is not just a song,” Angela started to explain. They might as well hear it from her. It would sound less crazy. Hell they dealt in crazy every damn day. “The Rose of Tralee refers to the guardian of the triquetra.”

****

Philadelphia flashed her light around the camp. She could hear the footsteps of the others as they searched. They had already searched twice but it was important that they keep trying. They had to be found. She didn’t know what she would do if they were lost too.

A set of footsteps came from her left. She turned to recognize William. He joined in the search outside the settlement while directing the other children to search the village. He would keep going if he could just as long as they found them. He approached her now and said, “I’ve searched near the highway. There is no sign of them.”

Philadelphia nodded. She knew that they were gone but she had to look for them to make sure that it wasn’t a fluke or anything like that. She had to be sure since she had found their primary caretaker unconscious but not from a blow to the head but a suggestive sleep. She had one of the children inform the elder that the two youngest hadn’t been seen and that they were going to look for them to make sure that they were safe.

They began a systematic search of the territory that they had claimed. They did it twice and it led into the night. She worried and she worried about what the king and queen might say. She had a suspicion of what happened when they didn’t find the children the first time. In fact she was certain of their location.

The children had been missing since the Winchesters and Absolution left for Lakota. She did notice how the children liked being around all three of them. She should have paid attention to the signs. Plus the song had been sung and by Absolution’s voice. It was hardly resistible. They would have followed. It was only right that she go after them but somehow she felt that they would be all right in their guest’s care.

Now that William was with her she could give her orders. “I expected that William. They left our territory.”

William started to worry. “Then we have to go after them. They couldn’t have gotten far if they took off on foot.”

“It’s all right William. They are in good hands,” Philadelphia replied as she placed a hand on the boy’s shoulder. He wouldn’t quite understand why unless she explained it to him. Still he had to learn about trusting in his fellow tribe members. He knew the concept of knowledge being power but he had to understand it.

“I don’t understand,” William replied as he looked at Philadelphia. He didn’t understand why she was not getting overly concerned. He looked at her with a slight frown. “Mother?”

Philadelphia looked down at her son and smiled. He rarely called her mother unless he was in true distress. It was a mark of how strong he was in mental resistance as well as other types. It also showed her that he was still young in terms of their tribal ways. She ran a hand through his locks and smiled, “They are all right because they are with Absolution.”

William frowned still but understanding was starting to dawn on his face. It was enough for him to ignore the playful affectionate way his mother tousled his hair. “Why are they with Absolution? They are safer here.”

“I don’t know their own reasons but Nick said that they wouldn’t stop chattering about wanting to find the Rose. I think they wanted to help Absolution.” Philadelphia looked off in the direction Lakota was. It probably was not a good idea that there wasn’t a tribe member out there to keep an eye on things but she had heard good things about the Winchesters.

“That doesn’t make sense mother.”

“Few things do when it comes to Absolution.” Philadelphia smiled at the thought. It certainly was true about her old friend. That girl was an enigma when it came to certain things and when the going got tough… Few things did make sense when she was around.

William frowned in confusion. He had not been born yet when his mother met Absolution for the first time. He didn’t understand his mother’s seemingly callous attitude to her friend especially since he had been taught to respect Absolution. Hell he had read all of her adventures. Some he thought were impossible at first glance but they sure captured the imaginations of the younger ones. Her stories were the inspiration for some of the games they played to better their skills.

Her singing though was something that was not spoken of in the stories. That was a mystery as well. Her voice was like one other voice but it wasn’t like the other. Absolution’s voice contained a sense of hope probably but since the Rose of Tralee was the only song that he had heard from her, it was hard to make a comparison. William looked up at his mother and replied, “Will they be all right with Absolution, Mother? You asked me to watch over them when we played. I feel…”

“It’s all right William. You didn’t fail in your duty. If anything I should have been the one to anticipate this move from them. They had been rather anxious ever since they realized the Rose went missing.” Philadelphia turned to look back in the direction of Lakota. She gave a slight smile as a thought came to her. “Besides I think the elder anticipated this the moment Absolution returned.”

“Grandmother told them to go?”

Philadelphia looked back at William. “Not directly. She probably dropped a suggestion when they were playing and they happened to eavesdrop. That is how she tries to make difficult people see their path.”

“Do you think she did that to have Absolution help find the Rose?”

Philadelphia placed her hand on William’s shoulder. She replied, “I don’t doubt that William. Absolution has seen and experienced much in her lifetime. Sometimes what is obvious to some is not to others and they need a torch to light the way. However that torch must be handled with care. Sometimes you can lose the light if the flame is not given the chance to grow.” Philadelphia looked as she could see other lights moving in the night. The others were completing their searches. They would have to head back and she would have to explain what was going on.

William watched as his mother looked around at the other warriors. He still felt bad that the two youngest had run off and everyone was worried. It was his job as well as Nick’s and now they were gone. Still he would trust his mother’s judgment. He knew the stories of Absolution and what she had done to help people. They would be safe with her. He said, “I hope they don’t give Absolution too much trouble, Mother.”

Philadelphia smiled. If anything the children would learn that Absolution was not a pushover even though she did have a tendency to cave in at times and at certain conditions. It would be something fun to watch but she had her place here. Absolution would take care of the rest. She replied, “They won’t. If anything I think they will come back with a new sense of discipline.”


	7. Chapter 7

Angela sat on the bed teaching a number game to a freshly washed Clare while her brother was taking a bath in the bathroom. It was actually a memory game using fingers to remember important things. Angela recalled when she first learned this game from her mother. It was part of the reason why she had a fairly good memory. She didn’t obsess with the fingers anymore having found mental ways of remembering but that always was a basis for the list that had built up in her mind.

Clare thought it was fun as she tapped her thumb with one hand and said, “Help Absolution.”

Angela smiled and nodded in approval. The girl was a quick learner as well as her brother. They were also very quiet when things were talked about. She figured that was how they were able to eavesdrop on conversations they weren’t supposed to be hearing. She watched as the girl made her way up to five and said, “Very good Clare. Now you’ll have a good memory like…”

“Like you,” Clare replied. “Absolution remembers everything. The most important things.”

Angela chuckled. She was going to have to nip this in the bud. She had explained to them earlier after they got back that they had to ask Sam if it was okay to call him Sammy. When they asked why she said that some people like their names and didn’t want people to change it. She also said that it was a personal thing between him and his brother. They nodded in unison. She asked, “Why do you keep calling me Absolution?”

“Because you are,” Clare replied not quite understanding the question. She didn’t know if Angela was asking a trick question or teasing.

Angela smiled and replied, “I wield Absolution. It’s the name of my sword.”

“Uh-uh,” Clare replied shaking her head. “It is the name of the person who will bring Absolution. Don’t you know your own stories?” She continued to frown at Angela. She couldn’t understand how someone couldn’t know what others knew about them and all the good things that they did. William had told her all the stories about Absolution and now she got to meet her and she was saying that she was not Absolution. It didn’t make sense.

Angela looked at the little girl who was frowning at her in puzzlement. She noticed that they grew very attentive with serious matters that they shouldn’t be involved in though when she explained what the Rose of Tralee was, they pitched in to a degree by encouraging to talk about it.

After she said that the Rose of Tralee was the guardian of the triquetra, the questions started. Normally Sam would have asked her first but Dean beat him to the punch. Dean asked her, “Okay so it’s a guardian. What does it guard?”

“It guards on of three pieces of the seal of the triquetra,” Clyde piped in. “Our tribe guards one and the other two guard the other pieces.”

Angela made a slight motion for Clyde to be quiet. She replied, “He is right. The seal consists of three pieces that form the triquetra.” She took the necklace that Clare had taken off of her neck to hand to her to show her. She held it up for the boys to see it.

“Wait a minute. I’ve seen this symbol on Bibles. It stands for the Father, Son and Holy Ghost thing,” Dean replied.

“Actually no. It’s origins go back to pagan times. The almond shape that forms the point thing there is supposed to be symbolic of the feminine aspect of nature… mostly the eh uh. The symbol itself has been used to refer to the maid, mother and the crone and other things but is primarily a part of Irish or Celtic roots,” Sam explained. He had rushed the end since he didn’t want to mention what the almond shape was. That would have been fodder for Dean’s porno reality for at least a week.

“Thank you for the history lesson,” Dean replied. He had picked up on Sam’s hesitation and figured that it was something of a sexual nature. Oh Sam was going to get the Dean Inquisition on his ass the moment the kids were asleep. “You really are a nerd. The both of you.” He pointed at his brother and Angela.

“At least I lived it,” Angela replied with a slight smirk. She hadn’t missed the thought that dawned on Dean’s mind and showed itself on his face. “Anyway the seal I don’t have a clue as to what it seals but it is broken up into three pieces and each is guarded by one of the three Celt warrior tribes.”

“So wouldn’t the tribe be the guardian?” Sam gave a slight frown in confusion.

“It would make sense,” Angela replied as she handed the necklace back to Clare.  “However it was made known to me that there is a guardian. My guess is that there are multiple traps or guardians protecting this seal.”

“So they Harry Pottered the thing,” Dean simplified in typical Dean fashion. “Must be something huge or bad. So why the three pieces?”

“Why anything?” Angela countered with a slight shrug. “I suspect numerology plays a part but it confuses me too. When a seal is broken it loses its potency in what it was supposed to seal.” She shrugged her shoulders. “Anyway the tribe’s guardian was kidnapped or stolen and more likely it is here in Lakota.”

“So we’re dealing with a witch and a missing guardian. My kind of case,” Dean muttered with sarcasm.

The rest of the way was more or less discussing what the arrangements were. Angela made it clear that they would stay with her. At the time it was more like she snapped at the boys when she said it. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust the boys with the kids it was… well rather complicated to understand. True she became like a bulldog when the kids were threatened when she first stayed with the tribe in Ireland but…

Sitting there with Clare, Angela came to the conclusion that it was that female thing her mother tried to make her understand when the issue about getting married and starting a family came up. She would accept that but that didn’t mean that she was going to jump into a guy’s bed and get pregnant for kids of her own. That was highly unlikely and probably never will be. She looked down at the girl and replied, “I know the stories told about me but I am not Absolution. That person I never met.”

“How could you never have met that person when you are that person?”

Angela gave a slight chuckle and replied, “I know because the person you talk about is a good person. I am not.”

“Yes you are,” Clare replied with a firm voice. “You wouldn’t have sung the song if you weren’t.”

“I sang because I wanted to at the time and you asked me.”

“That makes you a good person.”

The argument was futile and Angela gave up telling Clare to keep playing the game while she knocked on the door to check on Clyde. He was making a lot of splashing noises in there and at one point she thought she heard a neigh. She asked, “Clyde, are you almost done or are you horsing around in there? You need to go to bed.”

“Coming.”

The boy was out quickly and dressed in a shirt that Dean loaned stating that it was too small anyway. The subject of clothes was not too much of a big deal when it was discovered that the kids actually had packed a small bag with a change of clothes. The only thing missing was night clothes. Since Clyde offered his shirt, Angela offered one of hers for Clare and it solved that issue.

Clyde bounded out of the bathroom and was on the bed in a single bounce. He sat next to his sister and turned to look at Angela. “What next?”

Angela gave a slight chuckle. She replied, “You two are going to bed. Come on.” She walked over and moved the covers. “Come on or you won’t be coming when I look for the Rose.”

Clyde pouted slightly and crawled under the covers. Clare hesitated. She asked, “Where will you sleep?”

“Don’t worry about it sweetie. Right now you need to go to bed.” Angela smiled and peered at Clare as the girl started to yawn. “Did I just see a yawn? Come on. Into bed.”

Clare finished her yawn but she still wasn’t satisfied. However she wasn’t going to convince Angela of anything. She glanced at her brother and they silently communicated. She looked at Angela, “Can you tell us a story?”

Angela got the feeling that these two were good at the manipulation game. She was good herself but then again Dean was easy since he was in love with the Impala and pie and in particular her pie. They were good kids too and that she could see. She picked up Clare and tucked her in. She listened to both of them ask her again for a story and they added please to the mix. She finally said, “Have you ever heard of the Knights Smith and Wesson?”

Clare and Clyde frowned slightly at her. They had heard of many stories but the names that Angela used were strange to them. Clyde was interested and asked, “Are they heroes?”

“Well what is a hero exactly?” Angela countered with a question. She didn’t know why she was telling a story this way or even the one that came to mind. Yet somehow it felt right. “Sir Smith and Wesson were brothers in every sense of the word. They watched out for each other and would gladly lay down their lives for one another. They traveled on their horses Chevy and Impala around the land battling the monsters to save the people.”

“What kinds of monsters?”

“All kinds,” Angela replied as she sat on the edge of the bed and leaned against the headboard. She extended her legs and crossed them at the ankles. She gave a slight smile at the kids and continued, “Some monsters they never heard of but they fought bravely while searching for the one thing that took away a person that meant a great deal to them.

“One day Sir Smith and Wesson traveled to a village on their way to fight a group of monsters that were killing people in a large town. They stopped to get a bite to eat and book a room for the night. While they were staying the night, Sir Wesson had a dream but it was no ordinary dream. He lived the dream.”

Angela continued the story of how she and the Winchesters worked together on their first case. She modified it so it fit with the knights and fair ladies plotline. It wasn’t hard since she had lived with the tribe before and they more or less had lived like the town time forgot to age. Things were different now since they started adopting some modern things. By the time she was finished, she found that the kids had nestled beside her and were fast asleep.

Angela gave a knowing smile as she stared down at them. They really were little stinkers since they got what they wanted. She wasn’t going to wake them by moving. Normally she would star gaze for a while and then go to bed. She gave a yawn herself and decided to skip the star gazing. It’s not like she had a date or anything. Smiling she looked over at the canister of salt and with little effort she salted the windows and doors. When that was done, she made a slight motion with her fingers and the lights shut off.

Before closing her eyes, Angela did a sweep of the room out of habit. She could see in the dark as well as any nocturnal animal. Satisfied everything was all right for the night, she glanced down at the kids. They hadn’t moved so she relaxed a little and began to fall asleep.

****

The land was… green. It was like being back in Ireland again. The grassy moor was the same as well as the path that led to the lake. She was wearing the infernal dress that she always seemed to appear in though this time she had the pendant with the eagle that Nana had given her around her neck. Wearing courage like a badge, Angela walked down the familiar path finding that she was in bare feet and she could feel the moist dirt filter between her toes just as she remembered doing when she suddenly stopped.

Looking around she took in her surroundings. There was a sense of peace here much like that one time she woke up to find herself lounging on a chair, in a dress which she didn’t mind wearing, by a lake and with someone that gave her a sense of peace. Here she was by the shore of another lake but it was different since it was from a time when she was beginning to recover from the place of cold fire. Yet there was something off about it.

Glancing around Angela took in the applied senses and everything. She was probably the most pathetic when it came to dreams since she always seemed to manage to spoil them. Then again she was the one who insisted on the training from Morpheus and she had learned to tell the difference between an average dream and a dream walking dream and this was more along the lines of a dream walking dream.

A ripple from the lake caught her attention. Angela turned to face the lake to watch. There was a slight breeze as her hair rippled and the surface of the water began to break through. Angela was not afraid however and watched as something large broke through the surface with a whinny.

The kelpie was magnificent. The water rippled down its flanks and mane. It was dark like a cobalt blue and the eyes were blue green. Its tail looked sort of like an otter tail since it wasn’t hair. The appearance alone was unlike any horse that Angela had ever met. Even her old mount Thunder of the Sky was more like a normal horse than the kelpie that came out of the water but the kelpie was a sight on its own.

Angela felt no fear of the kelpie as she stood at the lake’s edge. She watched as the creature tossed its head and shook the excess water off. It certainly was not like the other dreams she had before. It was actually pleasant for she didn’t feel threatened by the kelpie. She certainly had heard stories about what they were capable of but she was not getting that from that creature.

“I see you are not afraid of me.”

Angela looked up to find that the kelpie as looking directly at her. It was the same concentration one used when talking through the mind but she could hear the words as if someone had been talking to her. Angela gave a wry smile and replied, “What is there to be afraid of?”

“My kind are known for killing. We lure our victims to the water’s edge and drown them and eat them.” The kelpie gave a slight toss of its head as of to confirm that. It also pawed the water with its hoof as if to prove it was vicious.

“If you had any intention of harming me you would have done it already,” Angela replied as she started pacing the water’s edge. She took in the sensation of the moist soil between her toes. “If I were to venture a guess, I would say that you are either asking for my help or warning me away. Which is it?”

The kelpie tossed its head almost as if to laugh at Angela. “You are right. I would have acted by now and I am sure that you considered the possibility that I was going to be friendly for a while and then commit treachery.”

“That is a possibility,” Angela replied. “That would be nothing new to me. I have had that happen to me before.” She stood in a cool and calm posture looking as relaxed as she did when she paced the shore. “Treachery is a well-known dance.”

“Indeed it is. Your manner suggests it but you are also alert.”

“As I said I have done that dance before,” Angela replied. It was interesting talking to the kelpie while it was not moving its mouth. One thing she knew that was the cardinal rule when it came to the dream world was that the dreamer has control over how they appear in their own dreams or when they dream walk. When involving other parties, there was some grey area but it was basically the same. Yet Angela would never consider appearing in a dress unless it was from a memory. In this case she was wearing the dress that the tribe had made for her when she stayed with them.

Angela studied the kelpie more before she continued, “If we can agree that neither of us intends one another harm, then we could move on as to why I am here talking with you and vice versa.”

The kelpie gave a slight bow of its head in agreement. “Very well, warrior called Absolution. I am here to ask for your help.”

“That is hardly surprising,” Angela replied, “But I wield Absolution.”

“You cannot deny who you are though you may try. They will eventually piece it together. He will piece it together.”

“And I see that once again assumptions are being made. I am not what people say I am and we can leave it at that. As to helping you, I can assure you that I am on the case. You are the Rose of Tralee that has been kidnapped from your tribe.” Angela held her hands in front of her. She tentatively rubbed her palm that had the scar. The assumptions people made about her based upon the stories they heard, it was… uncomfortable.

The kelpie gave a toss of its head, nodding in agreement. “Yes. I am the Rose, the guardian of one of the three pieces of the triquetra seal. You once summoned me by my song.”

Angela nodded in understanding, “You came and I thought you were one of the pets belonging to the ones after me. You remember me?”

“It is not hard to remember a voice that can fill a heart with hope and beauty and peace.”

Angela gave a slight noise that sounded like a scoff. It came out like a hum. “Yet how could something as beautiful as that come from someone who is more or less and ugly thing? An anomaly and an abomination but what’s done is done. As to who captured you, do you know who?”

The kelpie nodded. “I do but the spell she used prevents me from telling you where I am and my assumed form. If you…” The kelpie turned its head to look up at the sky.

Angela followed the movement. Something was going on. She could feel it in the air. Some mojo was working hard in the dream realm. “What is it?”

The kelpie was still looking at the sky in the distance. “Trouble.” It then turned its head back towards Angela and looked at her intently. “I have to go. Please help. Do not let the witch find the key. To get in you need to sing.”

It was the most cryptic thing that Angela ever heard but she was used to hearing things that didn’t often make sense. She did that all the time with her riddles and rhymes. Sam caught onto them quick and Dean was quick when she made allusions of a sexual nature. She stood on the shore as she watched the kelpie snort. “What key are you talking about?”

The kelpie continued to snort and it dived back under the water. The last thing that Angela heard was, “To get in you need to sing.”

Angela stood on the shore of the lake pondering a few things. The kelpie didn’t return so she took it to mean that whatever had the kelpie in fear had caused it to wake up. What puzzled Angela was that she was still here. Most dream walking experiences ended when one woke up. The other usually followed in suit. This was most unusual and her senses went on alert.

She was rewarded when there appeared leather clad warriors. Some had the animal pelt look and she recognized the Celtic symbols on it. The warriors circled her with their weapons drawn. Angela looked around as they circled her. Someone obviously knew of her conversation and they were going to end it. Suddenly she heard a voice echo through the sky, “So someone things they can take my rose from me? Not going to happen. Kill whoever it is. No one takes the rose.”

Angela watched the warriors circle and getting ready to attack. She came to the conclusion that the one who sent the warriors didn’t know who she was. That could be an advantage… if she got out of the dream realm alive. Well she wasn’t going to be efficient fighting in a dress even though she managed to when she was with Sam in Chicago. She thought fast and she was in leather pants and a white shirt along with knee high boots.

Well it was a bit better than the dress. This was the dream realm and usually anything goes. Angela dropped into a fighting stance. One of the warriors started forward. With her war whoop, Angela dodged the blow and gave a nice strike to the back of her attacker. The fight was on.

****

Haley looked around as she was dragged away from the canal by the very strong grip of Rose. When Rose came into her room that night, Haley thought it was going to be the usual chit chat that the singers had with one another. The chit chat that contained thinly veiled insults and comments about who was the best in the club. Haley was ready for it even though she didn’t have time for it since it was her night to perform. When Rose came in to one’s room however, you couldn’t just ignore it.

Rose came in with her usual manner until the door was firmly shut. Then she started talking while walking around, looking for something. Haley found it odd for Rose and would have questioned her about it but the words Rose had chosen kept her answering and countering the insults. It wasn’t until Rose was sure that they were alone that she dropped the act and started asking questions and they were the kind of questions that Haley would have avoided entirely since she spent her life hiding it.

How Rose found out that she was a witch was beyond her. Haley didn’t even know why she needed her help until Rose started asking questions about dreaming and summoning and other strange questions. Haley gave what she knew but hesitated and demanded to know more. Rose couldn’t or wouldn’t explain fully except to say that she needed help and asked her for it. Haley was suspicious about Rose’s attitude but she couldn’t sense any deception and agreed.

It was after Haley’s performance that she found the note from Rose asking her to meet her at the canal. Haley was a little bit nervous since that was where that poor boy Ryan was found completely out of his mind. Still she changed into suitable attire and grabbed her purse and headed towards the canal where she found Rose waiting for her, staring at the water running and humming some little song that seemed to fit the rhythm of the babbling brook.

As it turned out Rose needed to contact someone through dreams and Haley wasn’t sure how they were going to do that. Fortunately she had her spell book and some ingredients. It didn’t take long and Rose was asleep by the canal. Haley stood watch to make sure no one was around. When Rose suddenly awoke, Haley knew that there was trouble.

Rose grabbed her and led her away from the canal. As soon as they were a distance away Rose started grimacing. Haley stopped to check on her but Rose said, “Run Haley. Stay away from the club. She will find you.”

Rose continued to grimace as if she were fighting something. Haley wasn’t sure of what was going on. “Rose, what are you talking about?” She tried to grab Rose’s hands away from her face to look her in the eye and check on her.

Rose lifted her head and Haley could she a flicker of light in Rose’s green blue eyes. A shadow was starting to come across her face. Rose said, “Stay away. She’s too powerful. Can’t fight it much longer.”

Haley took a couple of steps backwards. She wanted to run but she couldn’t leave Rose there. “Rose, what’s going on? Who’s too powerful?”

Rose had to get Haley away from her. With any luck, she may come across Absolution or one of the tribe. They would be able to find her. She shouted, “Go Haley. Stay away. Now!” Rose then let out a feral yelp that had Haley start to run away.


	8. Chapter 8

The room was painted to look cheery in an attempt to make its occupant feel safe and secure. However it was more or less like a torture chamber especially with the smell of medicine sticking to the walls and in the air. Dean inwardly shuddered remembering when he had pretty much died and was hanging on. That was when Dad made the deal and he came back. He wondered if that was what Angela remembered whenever she was in a hospital working on a case.

He then remembered that there was no such thing as hospitals… well hospitals as he knew it. He remembered reading something about hospitals during the crusades or something like that. As if he would admit it. Dean turned to look at the person he and Sam had come to see under the cover of FBI agents.

The Ryan kid looked like he had seen a ghost. He was pale and withdrawn and was staring out into space. The ‘cheery’ yellow atmosphere was not helping worth crap. The kid had been scared out of his mind and the chart said that he was in a catatonic state. It was just the thing for Sam to work on since he was the more ‘sensitive’ guy. Hell if Angela were around she would be doing that thing Sam told him about with that kid Barcalow but she wasn’t.

That morning Dean was up early and that was a rare thing. The reason why was that he had no clue but he had the distinct feeling that something happened during the night and he wanted to make sure the kids were okay. His Sasquatch of a brother was still asleep which was surprising and Dean toyed with the idea of giving him a nice wake up call. Then again he decided to be nice since it was not too long ago the deal was made.

He was showered and dressed in no time and decided maybe to hang out with Angela for a while. Maybe he could help with the kids a little bit and they could talk some more. It would have been about other things and not just her pet project as she referred to it as. He didn’t want to know the details about it though he was worried that she may be going down a road that would spell trouble. He wouldn’t talk about it in front of the kids.

As it turned out, she wasn’t even in her room. No one answered the door when he knocked. Dean waited for about ten minutes before determining that she was not in her room. He looked around and saw nothing in sight. He wondered where the hell Angela would have gone that early in the morning. He glanced at her watch and he could just hear her say that eight o’clock was not early. Well it was for him and if he had the chance to sleep in then he would. He wasn’t crazy like her by staying out late and still managing to get up at six in the morning to either cook breakfast or do morning exercises like Sam did.

Sam of course had to ask where she was and Dean was left with the task of dealing with a mini bitch face and answering where she was. He put the focus back on the case saying, “Look Sam, Angie’s got it covered with the kids and she’s working on that guardian thing. We’ve got a case with what attacked that poor kid. Let’s deal with that.”

So now they were here in the psych ward with the catatonic kid and Sam was doing his good cop routine. There seemed to be some response from the kid. The puppy dog charm worked on just about anybody. Well anybody except Angela. That girl just took it in good humor and willfully ignored it. Dean almost smiled at that thought as he diverted his attention back to what Sam was asking the kid. As Sam was talking to the kid, Dean noticed a bunch of drawings on the wall and the desk. He went to look at them.

Meanwhile Sam was asking Ryan, “Okay Ryan, you said that you went to the canal with a woman?”

Ryan hadn’t spoken much about what happened that night. When he explained it to Derek and the emergency personnel at the hospital, they said that he was crazy. He was sure of what he saw and even drew pictures of the thing that chased him. Still they didn’t believe him. Now there was this really big guy in a suit asking him what happened. It didn’t matter. They wouldn’t believe him anyway. Might as well give the whole truth. “Yeah.”

Sam looked over at Dean who was looking at something else. One syllable words weren’t really giving them anything to go on. He needed to get the kid out of his shell. He wished that Angela were there. She was good at that kind of thing and her empath mojo would have helped but he figured with the kids that hitch hiked with them; it was her way of saying that they couldn’t always go to her but even that sounded petty to him. She would have helped if she could.

Sam turned his attention back to Ryan and continued his questions. “So can you tell me what happened when you went to the canal?” When the kid didn’t respond, Sam laid on the compassionate charm and added, “Look my partner and I believe you. Just tell us what happened.” He then waited for any response from the kid.

Ryan had been looking at the wall past the agent while he had been asking his questions. When he heard the guy say that he believed him, he was curious and wondered if it was too good to be true. He turned his attention to the agent and saw an expression that could be taken to mean that he was telling the truth. He replied, “She took me there. She said it was a popular place to hang out when on a date. We got there and I turned my back for a minute. The next thing I knew there was this huge thing where she was.”

“This what you saw kid?” Dean walked towards Ryan with one of the pictures he had drawn. Dean found several of them, all of them of the same thing. It was a horse but it was not like any horse he had seen before. It looked like one of those monsters that he and Sam would hunt but he had never seen anything like it before. He held up the drawing to the kid.

Ryan glanced at the drawing for less than a second and then went back to staring at the wall. If things kept up, he was going to miss school. His parents didn’t know yet but when they did… “Yeah that’s it.”

Dean shared a look with Sam. If this was the creature thing they were looking for then maybe they weren’t dealing with a witch. It could be a shapeshifter. That was something to talk about later. He gave a look stating that they had something to go on.

Sam took the hint. This reminded him of Barcalow. Once again someone is accused of being a crazy because they saw something that wasn’t supposed to exist. He looked at Ryan who was staring at the wall. The kid hadn’t given too much in terms of details and at this point it wasn’t going to help their case any. If they had any more questions, they could come back. He said, “Thank you for your time. If you think of anything else, you can give us a call.” Sam fished out one of the cards that he and Dean toted around and put it on the table beside the kid’s chair.

Ryan didn’t bother to acknowledge it. At least they hadn’t dismissed him outright. In fact they seemed to take it seriously. He figured they might be one of those X-files FBI agents. He didn’t watch as they started to leave but he knew that the shorter of the two took his drawing. It may be a long shot to hope… “Club Albion.”

Sam and Dean stopped. Sam frowned slightly as he looked at the kid. He was still sitting there and staring at the wall. He asked, “Excuse me?”

“Club Albion.”

Sam looked at Dean and they exchanged a look. It was better than nothing. Dean looked at the kid and replied, “Thanks. We’ll check it out.” He motioned for Sam to get moving and led the way out of the kid’s room. It certainly had been a profitable day.

****

Sam studied the drawing while Dean smothered his French fries with ketchup. He had never seen anything like it. The image was a horse but it wasn’t like any horse he had ever seen. The basic shape was there but the sheen the kid Ryan managed to give it said that it was something that lived in the water. The mane and the tail looked almost fin like and the hair near the hooves.

“You’ve been staring at that drawing for nearly twenty minutes. Your salad’s getting cold.”

Sam scowled at Dean. He then looked at the amount of ketchup on his fries and raised a brow, “You actually have any fries in that thing?”

“At least I have real food. You really are a girl. Come on… a salad?”

“Whatever Dean.”

Dean picked up a soaked fry and stuffed it into his mouth. He then picked up his bacon cheeseburger with extra bacon and took a large bite. He knew that would annoy Sam especially if he over emphasized the chewing. He knew it annoyed Sam more when he talked with his mouth full. “So what gives Sam? You didn’t even pull out the laptop.”

Sam studied the drawing. “Dean are we even sure that this is a witch? What if it’s a shifter?”

Dean finished chewing the bite he took. He had considered that possibility but it did sound a bit ridiculous. “I know shifters change into other people. It’s what got me into trouble with the law in the first place but really… a horse?” He took another bite of his burger. As he was chewing he continued, “I mean this is sounding like something Angie would know more about.”

Sam finally looked up and saw Dean’s mouth moving while making sounds. He gave a slight eye roll since Dean knew that his ability to talk and chew food at the same time annoyed him. “Or it could be a shifter with a fetish for animals.”

Dean shrugged his shoulders as he finished his second bite. “What about what that Ryan kid suggested? Club Avon?”

“Club Albion,” Sam replied putting down the drawing. He started in on his salad. “A play on the old name referring to the British Isles and has some relation to being a lesser god in Celtic lore. Not much is known on that.”

“Celtic?” Dean frowned as he thought about it. Angela’s friends at that village were Celtic. She said they were an order of Celtic warriors consisting of three tribes. What if someone had betrayed them? Angela mentioned that their guardian was missing. “Sam do you think that maybe this thing the kid drew is related to that whole thing about the missing guardian?”

Sam paused in his meal to think about it. He peered at the drawing and noticed something near the neck. He was amazed at the amount of detail the Ryan kid was able to remember even though he had been scared out of his mind. The marking looked Celtic with the knot work. Then Sam remembered something from the paper. He flipped the drawing so that it was facing Dean. “Dean check this out.” He pointed at the knot.

Dean peered at it. “A fancy knot. What about it?”

“Just a hunch.” When Dean failed to grasp what he was getting at, Sam explained, “Dean, the paper said that the victims had strange markings on them. What if this thing is leaving its mark on them… like a clue of some sort?”

“Little farfetched don’t you think Sam?”

“Like I said, it’s a hunch.”

Dean looked at his lunch. Knowing Sam, he would want to get going but he didn’t want to leave behind a perfectly good specimen like the one he was having now. “I suppose you want to get going?”

“No time like the present,” Sam replied with a shrug. He had managed to get half way through his salad even in his preoccupied state. “Come on. I’ll drive and you can finish that in the car. Besides you and both know you like what she makes better.”

Dean made a slight face. Of course Sam had to bring that up. He wrapped up the burger. “You had to bring that up didn’t ya? Man we are spoiled. We used to be tough with the diner food we ate. Now I’ve turned into a pansy.”

“More likely you’ve developed a sophisticated palate.”

“Shut up Sam,” Dean retorted in good humor as he picked up the burger and got up from his seat. “Come on. Let’s see if this hunch plays out.”

The brothers started walking towards the car. It was Dean who noticed a small crowd gathering around a grassy area. He couldn’t see who it was they were surrounding but he figured it was another one of those street musicians. He and Sam had passed by several of them singing on the streets. It had been obvious from the get go that this town was a musical one. Whoever this person was that this town was surrounding must be pretty good. Well no matter, they had a couple of bodies to see.

****

“Okay so your hunch played out. You want a gold medal now?” Dean munched on one of the fifty cent whores that Angela managed to stock up on just to torment him especially when she let him know about her beauties she made.

Sam cast a glance at his brother and gave a wry grin. His brother had gotten it bad with Angela’s pies. He could tell that Dean was annoyed that Angela dropped the hint she had slices for him hidden somewhere but it was entertaining to watch. He diverted his attention back to the screen of his laptop that he had been looking at ever since they got back from the morgue.

As it turned out, his hunch had proven right. All of the victims had that Celtic knot that was in the drawing. It was a start but it didn’t bring them any close to what exactly what they were doing. So now he was looking to see if he could find out what it was the kid saw. The drawing was laid out on the table to use as reference. He looked again at his brother and said, “Just another piece of the puzzle.”

“Still thinking it’s a shifter?”

Sam studied the screen as he ran through his databases. He even tried some new ones. The new ones had been shown to him by Angela and he had been using them to try and find a means of breaking Dean’s deal. That was a real project in of itself since the new ones were specially designed to search through everything in the supernatural and it was huge. He had to get specific with the keywords.

Finally something showed up. “No.”

“Okay so Seabiscuit is on steroids or something?”

Sam flipped his laptop around so Dean could get a good look at the image. “Meet the kelpie.”

“A what?”

“A kelpie. It’s a Celtic water horse. A creature that is said to lure men to their deaths by singing its song. In some cases it’s been known to lure naughty children and drown them.”

Dean finished his pie and threw the wrapper into the wastebasket. “Great, so we have a killer horse. How do we kill it?”

Sam shrugged his shoulders uncomfortably before replying, “Well um, the lore mentions something about taming it.”

“What?”

Sam cleared his throat before explaining, “Well in order to gain control of the kelpie one way is to tame it. That is done by grabbing a hold of its bridle.”

“So in order to stop a thing that kills people you have to get close to it and grab its bridle? Well that makes this job a whole lot easier.” Dean paced around. So they had to get close and the thing was known for dragging people down into a watery grave. And here he was having only a year left and about to face something that could make his number come up sooner than it was supposed to.

“There’s more.”

“What? Do I have to ride the damn thing around in a circle?”

“Actually the kelpie can be summoned. Well it doesn’t show except to feed or when summoned.”

“So you’re thinking that this kelpie thing is being controlled?”

Sam gave a shrug, “It’s possible. I mean all the victims were young guys between the ages of 20 and 30.”

“But Sam they had nothing in common. Some were douches and some were average joes and that one Ryan kid was as about as geeky as you are. Sounds more like the thing is just taking whatever it comes across.”

“Actually they did have one thing in common. They all were picked up by a ‘beautiful woman with a beautiful voice’ from a night club.” Sam looked up as his brother gave a slight scoff. “Club Albion.”

“That club the Ryan kid mentioned.” Dean thought about it some. It made sense now about how the victims were selected. Now that a club was mentioned, that meant women and…

“Can you focus Dean?”

“What?”

“Dude I know you were thinking about picking up a girl.”

“Come on Sam. Where’s your sense of fun? I bet Angie would have jumped on it. She can charm the pants off anyone.” Dean watched his brother’s reaction and grinned.

“Dean you know as well as I that she’s not like that.”

“Hard to tell with the nice little rhymes she comes up with.” Dean turned away but away that he was annoying Sam every step of the way with this. “I still like her astrological signs rhymes. I bet they still make you blush.”

“Just drop it Dean.” Sam gritted his teeth as he turned his attention back to the laptop. He continued scrolling for information on the kelpie and opened up another window to look into this Club Albion.

Dean knew he had annoyed Sam enough but he had his entertainment for now. He just had to figure out some payback for Angela after she had the William boy chase after him for his phone. He just had to be careful not to be too heavy handed with it. He had noticed that she was a little emotionally sensitive and she still on occasion wound up breaking something. He conceded, “Keep your shirt on Sammy. So anything else on this literal Seabiscuit?”

“Just what I told you and that it can assume any form it likes though it does have a preference to appear as a woman,” Sam replied releasing his temper by degrees.

“So we just have to look for the hottest chick in the joint and one that can sing. Think we should bring Angie along? She might be able to resist anything the thing might try.”

That was a possibility. If this thing lured men, they were going to need someone that had a resistance to it just in case it used its song on them. Angela was pretty resilient when it came to some of the mojo that had been worked on them. Sam couldn’t forget what she did during the showdown with Jake and Yellow Eyes. He absently read the information on the website for the club and his gaze came to a halt on one particular item. They might have some more trouble than they bargained for. He said, “There is a slight problem Dean.”

“What’s the problem Sam? It’s a night club. This is fine,” Dean indicated his typical hunter gear. Most places with bars didn’t set high standards in dress so they would blend in fine.

“Um take a look at this,” Sam moved the laptop so Dean could read the fine print. “I don’t think Angie’s gonna want to do that unless you want to try and convince her to take one for the team.”

Dean read the dress code and nearly swore. What kind of place does that to people who needed a drink after a long day? He had heard of those pansy posh clubs that existed for the rich but out here in the middle of Nebraska? “You got to be kidding me.”

“No I’m not.”

“Sonofabitch.”

****

“You know this place ain’t that bad.”

“Glad to see that you’ve changed your opinion given you put up a fuss over clothes,” Sam replied as he watched Dean take a bite of a cocktail wiener and looking ridiculous trying to be sophisticated about it.

As it turned out, Club Albion had a strict dress code. Absolutely no jeans or anything like that. As the term went, it was cocktail dress or something like that. At least there were a couple of pictures he and Dean could go on to pull this off. That also meant a little maintenance on the hair and Dean spent a good ten minutes ribbing him about trimming his hair and not looking like a girl. Sam got him back by picking out what Dean was going to wear knowing that he was going to pitch a worse fit than Angela if she had to wear a dress.

Dean threw a fit about looking like a pansy preppie and proceeded to gripe all the way to the club. Sam took to ignoring him while trying to call Angela on her phone. She hadn’t been seen all day and knocks on her door produced nothing. Sam wanted to at least fill her in on what was going on and waited for someone to pick up.

_This is Angela. Leave a message._

Sam sighed and left his message, “Angie, Dean and I found a lead to that witch problem. We’re going to a place called Club Albion. Give a call.”

“Still punishing you for pestering her I see,” Dean said with a smirk on his face as he pulled into the parking lot.

“Eat me jerk.”

“Back at ya bitch.”

Now they were inside having passed the initial inspection. The place was packed with couples and singles all over the place dressed like they were at a cocktail party. College coeds were in the little black dress that worked for all occasions. Guys were dressed in dinner jackets and slacks. It was as Dean put it in a preppie club. That wasn’t a problem for Dean since he was flirting with everything in a skirt that wasn’t tied down to a guy.

Sam went about the business of looking around for any sign of someone that might fit Ryan’s description of the woman. He had several possibilities but they were either single or flirting with other singles or in a couple and they weren’t trying anything that looked supernatural.

“Damn Sam. This place rocks.”

Sam gave a nod of acknowledgement while looking around, “Dean. Focus.” It was hard to talk since the band was playing music.

“I am,” Dean replied as he ate another cocktail wiener. He turned his attention to the bartender who was actually a pretty hot chick. He said to her, “So you got anything back there to spice up an evening?”

“Cool it there, tiger. If you want to flirt, save it for the main performance. I hear she’s a beauty,” the bartender replied with a slight smile as she served Dean a drink.

Dean looked at the napkin with her number on it. Man he liked this place. He started chatting with the bartender and learned that the headliner for the evening was a new girl. It might be who they were looking for. He was going to find out when the band finished and the crowd clapped and the young guys bum rushed the stage. This girl had to be something. He swiveled in the seat he had taken with his drink to watch as the lights dimmed and the curtains opened to reveal…


	9. Chapter 9

Angela had woken up that morning feeling tired and irritated at the previous evening’s exertions. She managed to fight off what the conjuror had sent for some time until Morpheus came and gave her a hand. That had been an interesting conversation in of itself.

Morpheus had explained why he hadn’t interfered at first, “As far as I was concerned, it was a normal dream walk. True I could sense agitation from the kelpie but it was here to talk to you and nothing more.”

“I almost forgot that you can see into our minds and conjure up memories and things from the past,” Angela replied as she dusted herself off. “So Morpheus, why did you come and save my bacon from a witch bitch and her minions?”

The god looked at her and replied, “You needed a way out and I recognized these minions. They are bred to kill. They don’t stop until their quarry is dead or someone like me banishes them.”

“I didn’t know that you cared Morpheus,” Angela replied.

“Call it a returned favor for freeing me. Besides you have a job to do and that is to protect the Rose of Tralee.”

“Don’t you mean find it? It was stolen from the tribe.”

Morpheus studied the girl in thought. He then said, “Yes you must find it but you also must protect it. You know of the three pieces of the seal.”

“I know that they are separated for a reason but not of what would happen if they were brought together. Though I could venture a guess that it is something bad and it probably ranks up there with end of the world bad.” Angela looked up at the god to study the reaction. His reaction indicated she had guessed right. She sighed in response and added, “That’s always the case. Leave it to me to find people that guard things that could mean the end of the world if the wrong person gets a hold of it. More of the same.”

“In spite of your feelings you still do it.”

“What other choice is there Morpheus? One isn’t a hero by choice. The stories told merely say that you were lucky to be recognized in such a way. In the end someone has to do it. Who else is there? It would make sense to try and convince people to save their own skins but quite frankly the world we live in had blinders. So it’s up to those like me, the Winchesters, Bobby and Ellen and Jo to be those that hold back the tide.”

“It is still a choice that was made. Much like the choices you made concerning the brothers that you stay with. Still I can see where you are coming from. I apologize in adding to your burden.”

Angela placed a hand on the god’s shoulder. It was considered rather bold of her to do such a thing but she had always taken such liberties with her familiarity with certain gods and goddesses. “It’s a burden but as you say one I take willingly. Thank you for the advice my friend.”

The god nodded before sending her back. It was morning and Angela felt like she had slept on a lumpy mattress for her efforts but it was dispelled by the fact that the children hadn’t moved away from her all night. In fact it was as if they had stuck to her like glue. She glanced over at the clock and realized that it was six thirty. There was no way she was getting back to sleep so she careful moved the kids and did her morning routine.

She was practicing kata meditation when the kids woke up and asked her what she was doing. She was used to talking while practicing so she had no problem telling them. “I am practicing in concentrating. I am getting focused so I can go out and look for the Rose.”

Clare peered at her curiously. She then tried to follow Angela and motioned for her brother to try. Angela watched out of the corners of her eyes as they imitated her and she resisted the urge to laugh as they tried. Taking pity on them, she showed them the basic postures and told them that they had to practice those three moves until she was sure they had it down right.

“When will that be?” Clare asked with a curious expression. The Absolution she knew about was from the stories William told.

Angela smiled remembering she had asked the same question she was first learning this. Her sensei had told her that she would know when she saw the lesson in its entirety. Even after all this time she still found herself in that same position as Clare was; asking when she would be free of the pain and guilt. She would know and the best she could do was muddle on through. She kneeled so that she was eye level with Clare and replied, “You will know when you have it right when you understand why I am only teaching you this for now.” She reached out and caressed the girl’s cheek and gave a small smile. “Okay?”

Clare didn’t understand yet but Absolution’s method of teaching was similar to how the tribe taught. Children were taught by showing; they had to listen, watch and learn. She glanced at her brother who was finished with what he was doing and he nodded. They would think about this while they helped to search for the Rose. It was Clyde who asked, “Can we get something to eat?”

Angela couldn’t help but chuckle. She was hungry too. “Alright. You’ve had enough for today.” She stood up and went to check her wallet to make sure there were plenty of cash plus her few credit cards that were only for emergencies. She also tucked her cell phone into her jacket pocket. When she looked up, the children had their coats on and looking up at her expectantly. “Come on.”

It was a nice day out which was why they had gotten their breakfast to go. The nearby park was the perfect place since there were also things there to entertain the kids. It occurred to Angela that she should at least let the boys know that the kids were with her and was about to pull it out when a sound caught her ear.

The rich tone of the guitar was one of the few instruments that Angela loved. Actually she had a thing for string instruments in general. Her secret talent besides cooking which thoroughly had the boys and Bobby under her thumb was actually playing piano. She attributed that to the young lady education she had been brought up with.

Looking around, Angela could see other musicians around. Some were singing while others were playing. Apparently this was a musical town since there were quite a few. It was almost like that magic town she had heard about. The guitar that she was hearing was nearby and she could see him from where she was sitting while watching Clare and Clyde play. She thought about her dream and what the kelpie said.

Singing would get her in. Well that really didn’t help much considering she didn’t know what she was supposed to be trying to get in. Also there seemed to be a musician every five to ten feet or was it yards? Hell it was going to be hard enough trying to find which one was the kelpie. Kelpies generally assumed the appearance of a beautiful woman but it wasn’t that farfetched for them to assume the form of a man. The key was to finding the one that was capable of luring victims to their deaths.

Angela twirled her phone between her fingers as she thought about it. She should at least send a text. Making up her mind she started typing up a text. She was about to send it when Clare came running up to her saying, “Look,” and pointed.

Angela flipped the phone shut forgetting the message and put it back in her jacket pocket. She followed the line that Clare was pointing at. The girl was pointing at the guitarist that she had been listening to while watching the kids play their chasing game. She looked at Clare and asked, “What about it?”

Clare stopped pointing and said, “He can play for you.”

Angela raised her brow and asked, “Why would he play for me?”

Clare gave a slight eye roll. Meanwhile Clyde had come up. He said, “He will play for you Angie.”

Angela resisted the urge to correct the kids in their choice of her name. They had heard the boys call her that so that was how they knew her as. Besides it was better than them calling her Absolution and she didn’t need Sam and Dean gaining more ammunition to tease her with. She gave a humoring sigh and asked, “Why would that guitarist play for me?”

Both children looked at each other before looking at her and saying, “So you can sing for the people.”

Clare then said, “You need to sing. It’s how you’ll find the Rose.”

Angela looked over at the guitarist who was just playing a tune. She then looked back at the kids. “Clyde, Clare, we will find the Rose but you can’t start making a scene. Sometimes you have to subtly ask around.”

“But you have a good voice. It will find the Rose.” Clyde looked at Angela with a puzzled look.

“The Rose responds to the voice,” Clare added. “It remembers a good voice.”

Angela sighed and sat back on the bench that she was sitting on. She planned on asking around and eventually getting to the Ryan kid about what he saw. With the boys focusing on the witch who was more likely the kidnapper, she was free to look for the guardian and possibly stop another attack. Then again she had been told to sing in order to get in. The thing is she was going to have to let her true voice really shine and she was rather reluctant to do that. She really had no purpose for it. In fact she only used her true voice because the kids asked it of her and she was really bad when it came to being faced with the look.

_The Rose can be summoned._

Angela remembered that bit from the elder of the tribe. She also recalled from the dream about her mentioning that she had summoned the kelpie. So there was the possibility that she may be able to reach out to the kelpie. It was a long shot but then again she might get lucky. Looking at the kid she was going to speak when the guitarist came up and said, “Well you look like you might be interested in a song.” He smiled at her.

Angela returned the smile with one of her own. Well she might as well get going. She replied, “Actually I was wondering if you would play while I sing. You see I was passing through, looking for new digs with my kids. I’m a singer.”

“No shit. It’s nice to meet a new face here on Music Row,” the guitarist replied. “The name’s Cody.” He held out his hand.

“Angie,” Angela replied offering her hand. Her cover story was one of the worst she had and she had come up with some bad ones on the fly. Still this Cody guy seemed to buy it. “If it works out, I might stay on but I need to find steady work.”

Cody grinned, “You seem to be in luck. I heard that the local night club is looking to hire a new singer or two. You need to build up your cred here. Need a good instrumentalist? The pay is not spectacular but we can split what we make fifty-fifty.”

Angela listened to the boy talk. It was a start. If the rumors were true about this night club, she might have a chance. It might be what the kelpie had referring to about getting in. She looked at the kids who were trying to look innocent while sending the look to the guy. _Little rascals._ She smiled and replied, “That sounds like a fair deal. I do warn you I have a lot of practice singing without instrumentals but I can do both.”

“Great. You have any particular style you do?”

“I know a wide range but I have a partiality to country.”

“No problem. You got something in mind?”

Angela looked off to think. She knew quite a few songs. Some were from those good old days from a long time ago. If she was going to catch the attention of the guardian she was going to need something that would hold attention. It was a good thing Dean wasn’t around otherwise he wouldn’t let her live this one down. She replied, “I got one.”

It was moments later that Angela found herself standing in front of a potential group of paying customers. She glanced at Cody and gave a slight nod and then looked at the kids who were sitting and watching her. She heard the first few chords strum and let the music flow.

_You’re struttin’ into town like you’re slinging a gun_

_Just a small town dud with a big city attitude_

_Honey are ya lookin’ for some trouble tonight_

_Well all right_

Angela watched the crowd respond to the rich tones her voice took. This particular song she happened to like mostly because she liked the tone of the lyrics. Of course there were some implications within them which was why she was glad that Dean wasn’t around to hear it. He first would have teased her about her choice in music artists and then about the lyric content. At least with this crowd they seemed to appreciate her choice.

She had chosen country because the rhythm was easy to flow with and most of the time the lyrics contained themes that most people could relate to. Plus they tended to tell stories. That was a characteristic of country. She continued on aware that her spectators were doing the whole camera phone thing. Great. She was going to go viral.

_You think you’re so bad drive the women folk wild_

_Shoot ‘em all down with the flash of your pearly smile_

_Honey but you met your match tonight_

_Oh that’s right_

The crowd continued to grow as Angela continued through the song. All it took was one with a camera phone to record her singing and then send it to their friends. As she neared the chorus, the crowd had gotten considerably larger. Some appeared to be the casual passersby.

_If you can give it, I can take it_

_‘Cause if this heart is gonna break it’s gonna take a lot to break it_

_I know, tonight somebody’s gonna win the fight_

_So if you’re so tough_

_Come on and prove it_

_Your heart is down for the count and you know you’re gonna lose it_

_Tonight you’re gonna go down in flames_

_Just like Jesse James_

The crowd had gotten pretty large by the time she got to the end of the chorus of the song. Angela glanced over with a practiced eye as she continued to sing. Since she was trying to catch the attention of someone, she might as well play it up. When Cody started playing the instrumental part, she took advantage of the opportunity and did a stylized line dance.

It had a good effect. The crowd, which consisted mostly of young men, boys in her mind, was cheering her on. She could hear some of the comments from them but she ignored them. The goal was to finish the song and hopefully attract the right sort of attention. She moved her hips glad that the boys couldn’t see her now. There was a reason she didn’t do this anymore. It was just the thing to get Sam into his version of the Dean Inquisition. He was just nicer about it and in truth she didn’t mind since it fueled a buried desire to share a part of her life with someone.

Clare and Clyde watched as Absolution drew the attention of the people that had been walking through the park. They were sure that this was the way to go about finding the Rose. The people were drawn to the voice giving the impression that Angela could sing a stupid commercial jingle in the same voice and still attract a large following. They stayed where they were and beating the rhythm on their knees.

_Well you’ve had your way with love but it’s the end of the day_

_Now a team of wild horses couldn’t drag your heart away_

_So come on baby_

_Come on baby_

_Come on baby you know there ain’t nothing left to say_

Angela felt her limbs act of their own accord as they moved in time with the music and the pulse her voice set. It was actually a means of self-conducting herself as she plunged through the song. The benefit was that the graceful movement of her hands masked the intent of the movement. It was a talent and some said it was a gift. Angela just saw it as a means of flowing with the music.

She plowed through until she sang the last line. As soon as the last words were out of her mouth, the crowd was clapping. Some of the guys were cheering. She then heard one of them comment, “She’s even better than Ruby Rose. There’s just something about her voice. The GM should hire her and then Rose could have some competition.”

Angela listened with interest. So there was another singer called Ruby Rose that had a talent with singing. That could be the lead she was looking for. Kelpies had a song similar to the sirens, the kind that could lure their victims to their deaths. Besides, there was the name Rose. It seemed too simple but hell she was the one that said that often the best way to hide something was in plain sight. It was something that people searching would think of last.

She gave the appropriate thanks as the guitar case was being filled with money. She gave thanks to her guitarist. The crowd began to demand another. She looked at Cody and he gave a nod. Well she was making his day by bringing in him a good payday. She mouthed the next song which happened to be a Johnny Cash song. Cody knew that one and strummed the chords to lead her in.

****

Genevieve didn’t know why but she had a good feeling about walking through the park, particularly Music Row. She did want to find some new talent and her girl Haley was agreeable to that. Nicole thought she was being threatened by it but was quickly mollified by the fact that more singers allowed for more entertainment but the order for the headliner was still under the old rules and those senior were given consideration.

It had been a job but Genevieve still had her singers on board but she noticed that something had been off about Haley when she came in this morning to ask for time off to seek inspiration for her singing. It sounded like an excuse but Genevieve knew that Haley had been working the duets and singles real hard at the club so it wouldn’t hurt to let the girl have some time off. Nicole was different.

Genevieve regretted hiring the girl. She thought she was a diva or something. Haley and a few others muttered something about being a prima donna and she was inclined to agree with them privately. Not wanting to deal with too many temper tantrums, Genevieve allowed the little things to slide just as long as they didn’t disrupt the business and the girl was on the stage to perform.

Now Nicole was getting to be a little too much which was why she wanted to hire new talent. Genevieve thought that the new talent would provide a healthy competition with her existing talent. It would even provide a challenge for Rose though Genevieve was sure that there was no one who could compare to the sensation of the pull of Rose’s voice.

Walking through the park, Genevieve started scouting out the local talent. Most of the street musicians were the bum musicians with the guitar and their voice. They were good but not the kind to bring out the spark she was looking for. In her mind it was mediocre at best though there were some that were better than others.

There was also the type of music that had to be considered. Club Albion currently catered to the music styles of the 40s and 50s. She tolerated the jazz but it had to be just right. Genevieve was also smart enough to know that she couldn’t just alienate the public. Besides music that catered to dancing like the quick step was always welcome since the coupled loved to dance on the club’s floor.

So Genevieve walked through and stopped to listen to each musician’s work whenever it caught her attention. She would listen and then give a dollar. She certainly was paying for the privilege on this one. All to quickly she ran out of musicians and only asked maybe one to come by and audition at the club during the amateur night that was scheduled for tomorrow. She thought that she was going to have to endure another mind numbing amateur night session when something caught her ear.

Looking around, Genevieve spotted a very large crowd that had gathered around the far end of Music Row. Curious, she edged her way closer. Even though she relished the ability to remain anonymous at the club and in general when she went on her recruiting trips, it was not serving her well since she was having to fight her way through the crowd to the source of all this attention.

The girl was fairly tall but her finely tuned body made up for it. The skin tone was evenly blended her hair was perfect for the ensemble she was wearing at the moment. Genevieve started imagining what she could do to solve that problem for the girl as she continued to study the girl while being captivated by the coloring of her eyes.

Genevieve had never seen eyes like that before. Even Rose’s eyes were not up to the par of being strikingly different. Every good thing Genevieve found about the girl added up to the decision to offer the girl a job the moment she was finished with her number. Now it was time to listen to the voice and Genevieve eagerly strained to listen to the song and the music.

The song was one she hadn’t heard before and it was country in style but it allowed the full tones of the voice singing it to shine through. Genevieve suspected that the girl was capable of singing a capella if she wanted to but for this song, she was doing very well with the guitar as being musical support. The song that the girl was singing was an old somewhat favorite of hers and Genevieve had the greatest respect for the artist. Genevieve was sure that she may have found the talent that she was looking for.

The song was a Cher song but the crowd didn’t care. They were focused on the voice. Genevieve thought it was the most beautiful sounding voice that she had ever heard. Genevieve was familiar with the words and while the girl sang Genevieve found herself being pulled towards the girl. There was still a sufficient ring abound the girl and her accompaniment.

The girl came to the chorus and Genevieve found herself singing along in a low voice. She watched the girl as she danced when she had nothing to sing about just yet while giving a gentle smile to her accompaniment. The pitch was virtually perfect even though the girl had a different octave than what she showed on the way there.

Genevieve was about to make an offer when the song ended when the guys started bum rushing the performers and beginning for more. Genevieve tried hard to not make a face at having to endure another song that had been demanded by the crowd. Yet when the girl opened her mouth, she felt drawn to the sound and power of her voice.

It was clear to Genevieve now that she wanted this girl. She had to make an offer and she was willing to stay all day until she got a moment to talk to the girl. She was to get her chance finally when the girl sang her last song and thanked the crowd and started to pack up. Genevieve approached the girl and said, “That was a very impressive performance.”

The girl replied, “Thank you. We all have to make our living somehow.”

“Well I think I may have a way for you to make what you need. You interested in a job as a singer?”

The girl glanced over at her partner who gave a look of encouragement. She then turned to face Genevieve and replied, “What kind of job?”

Genevieve knew she had the girl. She was going to have some good competition with her girls. She started giving details about what she was looking for. She kept emphasizing that she was looking for someone who knew what she wanted to do with her voice. The girl looked like she was interested so Genevieve kept talking. Oh she had this one and she was going to rock the house tonight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lyrics are from Cher's Jesse James.


	10. Chapter 10

Angela looked at her reflection in the mirror and could almost hear the comments from Dean and the gentle compliments that Sam had a tendency to give. She could hardly be flattered by her appearance but she could make a few acknowledgements like the fact that the dress did bring out her figure. She was neither vain nor conceited but she was well aware that she had a nice set of looks. She had been the cause of plenty of bar fights and cat fights in the past when she had the unfortunate luck to get into a tangle with a drunken idiot.

Staring at her reflection, Angela wondered if she was on the right track with this. After singing a couple of good country numbers with Cody, some woman came up to her complimenting her on her vocal talent. Angela looked at her with a discerning look while being polite and shaking hands. The woman introduced herself as Genevieve.

Genevieve asked her if she was interested in a job as a singer. Angela was thoroughly surprised at the forthrightness of the woman and looked to Cody for some sort of help. He was grinning and saying that she should take it. She wasn’t sure about it since she already agreed to help him out and she did just secure a nice payday for him.

Then there was the issue of the Rose. She had heard some of the customers say that she was better than Ruby Rose. What if that singer worked for this woman? What if she was the missing Rose? That was what encouraged her to ask about the job. She took care not to sound too interested nor too desperate for a job. She did tell Dean that she could be a pretty good actress when she wanted to be.

The results ended up working out as Genevieve said to her, “Good. Come to Club Albion. I’ll put you on tonight’s program. Be there around six so we can get you fitted. Welcome aboard.”

There was a quick handshake and Genevieve was on her way to wherever leaving Angela with the kids and Cody. Cody was grinning and said, “See, looks like things are looking up for you already. You got yourself a nice steady job. It’ll be good for your kids.”

“Yeah… I think,” Angela replied as she helped sort out the money that had filled the guitar case.

After a bit of haggling with Cody over splitting the money, Angela brought the kids back to the motel to try and figure out how this arrangement was going to work. She could leave them with the boys but they were working the witch angle and they probably didn’t want too many distractions. The idea of leaving them alone in the room was considered and she could always summon Cerebus to guard them. She wasn’t too thrilled about bringing them with her to the club. If the missing Rose was hiding there then so could the actual thief and that could spell trouble and she didn’t want to put the kids in danger.

Angela was watching them play a game when a knock sounded on her door. Being ever watchful, she slowly reached for her .45 that she kept handy and quietly cocked it. If it had been Sam or Dean they would have made their usual noises and called her name. She peeked out the eye hole and frowned because she couldn’t quite see who it was. Leaving the door chain in place, she opened the door carefully and peered around.

Standing in the doorway was a girl about Dean’s height. She had skin as rich as ebony and dark brown eyes. She looked harmless but Angela knew from experience that even harmless women could have a nasty bite that they could give when you least expected it. She wasn’t going to open the door to just anybody but she couldn’t also act like a bitch. She asked the girl, “Can I help you?”

The girl introduced herself as Haley and asked if she was going to accept the offer Genevieve offered her. That normally would have had Angela’s spidey sense go off but there was nothing to indicate that there would be a problem with this girl. There was something about her that Angela couldn’t quite put her finger on and she wasn’t just about to let her in without some other indicators. She replied, “I considered it. What’s it to you?”

The girl Haley replied, “Well I am… was… a singer at that club. I think there is something going on there.”

Angela raised her brows in suspicion. Then the girl said, “I think it has something to do with the murders and what happened to that poor Ryan kid.”

That started Angela thinking about what was going on. Still she had to keep her cover, “Why tell me anything. Go down the hall to 24. They’re the cops… Feds really. Don’t ask how I know since it’s easy to spot one.”

Then the girl muttered something and Angela felt her tattoo respond. She tried not to flinch but it was uncomfortable and she moved slightly. She had heard of spells and chants that could reveal different creatures. Hell just saying ‘Christo’ told you the thing was a demon. She looked at the girl and said, “I think you should go.”

The girl looked at her with wide open eyes and then said, “I know what you are. I have heard of your kind. Are you the one that I have heard about in stories? Are you the one who bears the one called Absolution?”

Angela let the girl in and discovered that Haley was a witch but not just any witch. They talked for a while and Angela decided to leave the kids in her care. Clare and Clyde were agreeable to that and they said that Haley was a good person. She was willing to trust their judgment since they seemed to think that she was a good person. So she went to the club and met with Genevieve and followed the advice that Haley gave her during the formality of the interview.

It happened really quickly that she was shuttled off to wardrobe and tailored into a dress. All the while Genevieve talked to her about how the program worked and that she was free to mingle with the patrons after her turn was up. Then it came down to the nitty gritty and the type of songs she was going to sing.

Angela got the impression that the club catered to a certain style and it was made clear when she heard the band practicing and starting to play. She certainly knew a few songs from those days. Hell she knew a federal agent from those days who told her that she was good cover when they busted a speakeasy that was a front for demon activity and she did help him out when he busted one of the more notorious crime lords. It was a good thing she never mentioned that to Dean. She would never hear the end of it.

It surprised her when Genevieve said that if she wanted to, she could sing those country ballads that she was so good at singing. Angela got the impression that the woman wanted to be as accommodating as possible in order to get her to stay. Well she was going to stay… just long enough to find the Rose, stop the thief and get out of Dodge. Oh, and not to mention dropping the kids and the Rose back off with the tribe. So Angela decided to play nice and thanked the woman for the opportunity but she could hold to the club’s standards and she blabbed about her ability to write and play songs in that style. It surprised the woman but it got Angela further in.

The only thing that caused a little bit of discontent was Angela’s tattoo. Apparently the woman Genevieve had an aversion to markings like that of any kind. It had Angela thinking that the woman set unusually high standards for performers or it was the need to be professional about everything under the sun. There was also the nagging feeling that she was hiding something or other. So Angela explained that it was something that she had gotten when she first started, a sort of rite of passage. She explained that her whole family had musicians in it and they all had the same tattoo but it was different based upon the individual markings woven into the knot.

It seemed to mollify the woman somewhat. It led to a wardrobe change though. She wasn’t going to have her shoulders bared. No surprise there. Looking at her reflection, Angela thought the dress looked a bit like a dress she had seen Whitney Houston wear once on television. The silky fabric was draped to create a strap look but it was wrapped around her neck like a scarf. Of all colors it had to be white. What was it with people thinking that she should wear white?

The question was answered for her when Genevieve studied her reflection and said, “You look like an angel.”

 _Well that makes life a whole lot interesting._ Angela couldn’t help but roll her eyes internally. Again she was so glad Dean wasn’t around to hear this. She would never have heard the end of it. Well it was the name she used now though she gave a cover name for this job. She uttered her thanks and was left to do what she liked with her hair.

Now that she had finished that, she was just staring at her reflection. The last time she got this trussed up was when she was chasing a shifter that decided it was fun to crash at charity parties and kill people. Austin had been her back up at the time. That case had led them to a five star hotel and they had to set it up so the shifter took an interest in her. The goal was to get the thing away from the crowd and then give it what was coming to it.

That felt like a lifetime ago and here she was again getting dressed up but this time she was trying to find something that was lost. Angela made a slight face as she looked at her hair. She had done right in making it cascade like the classic Hellenistic Greek look. It went well with the dress and the choice of jewelry that Genevieve picked out though she was very uncomfortable with it. Still as Dean would say, she had to take one for the team. “Well this is definitely taking one for the team,” she muttered as she adjusted one last thing.

The band was finishing what she was sure was ‘Sing, sing, sing’ and she thought how funny it would be if she were with the boys and someone made a comment about the Chips Ahoy commercial. Stupid stuff like that took away the seriousness of the situation and in a way made life not seem so horrible considering what she was trying to do for Dean. She knew the boys would need moments like that in the days to come. It never occurred to her that she would too.

“Well, my number’s up so I guess I better dazzle them. Oh God did I revert back to acting like I was in the 1930s?” Angela put a hand to her forehead to try and convince herself that this wasn’t that bad. It wasn’t. She could do this.

She went to the place where she had been told to enter the stage. She stood there as the band finished their last number while remembering the time she danced the quick step with her federal agent partner. It had been a quick move on her part to save his bacon from being found out by the thing they were chasing. She gave a slight smile at the memory. That had been fun even though it was a job simply because it allowed her to do something that she used to do and was obviously good at. Maybe this time was one of those moments.

The band finished their piece and the crowd was clapping hard. She could also hear the whoops coming from the young men. Genevieve told her that they got excited when the singers came out and they would especially since she was new blood so to speak. Well that was fine and dandy. She walked out to the stage behind the curtain and turned so that her back faced the audience when the curtain came up. Out o habit, she flexed her hands to relieve tension as the first bars of the song she had chosen to open with began to play.

_Rose, Rose I love you with an aching heart_

_What is your future, now we have to part?_

_Standing on the jetty as the steamer moves away,_

_Flower of Malaya, I cannot stay_

Angela turned as soon as she started singing the first few words. She could tell that the house was pretty much packed for that night. Damn, the people were desperate for new blood. Either that or the rumors about her vocal skills had traveled. She did notice them texting and recording her earlier when she sang in the park. She was probably going to get more than what she bargained for.

As she continued through the song however, the tune and the rhythm relaxed her enough to add little swaying moves to emphasize the music. It was just enough to bring a little personality to a song that was originally sung in Chinese and then translated into English and sung by a guy named Frankie Laine. She took a risk and moved to the stairs to walk down them while continuing to sing. It was then she noticed two people that she least expected to be there. The looks on their faces told her they were just as shocked as she was. There was no avoiding it now and decided to walk towards them.

_Rose, Rose I love you with your almond eyes_

_Fragrant and slender ‘neath tropical skies_

_I must cross the seas again and never see you more_

_Way back to my home on a distant shore_

****

Haley was nervous about coming to this part of town. It wasn’t exactly the place you wanted to find a room in but if you had little money, you did with the best that you had. She just didn’t think that it was the best place to raise two children but their mother seemed to be doing her best.

Haley had been at the park when she heard the commotion brought on by the people that were there and starting to gather. She had never seen that big of a rush except when Rose performed at the club. She figured it must be some new blood but then she realized that this was Cody’s territory. So who was doing the hostile takeover?

She made her way over and she could recognize the rich tones of Cody’s guitar and smiled. Cody was one of those content souls. He didn’t care about making it big or anything. He just did what he loved and that was writing music and playing it for people. Haley always suspected that he loved not knowing where his next meal was coming from and that it was like one big adventure or something like that. He was also generous to o fault if he happened to really like someone. In this case, he seemed to like the singer that sounded better than Cher singing that song.

Haley managed to catch a glimpse of her and was impressed by everything; her voice and beauty. In fact her voice just seemed to make her physical features stand out more. Haley had thought previously that no one could trump Rose but it seemed like this woman was more than capable of it. In fact it almost seemed as if there was something unnatural about the woman, like she wasn’t a normal human. It was something that Haley thought on as she listened to the other songs that followed. Some time during the performance, she spotted Genevieve and she melted back to avoid being seen,

At that moment she saw the kids as they moved subtly behind the woman and Haley assumed that she was trying to earn money for her kids. It then made sense for Cody to work with her. She watched as Genevieve extended a job offer to the woman and she realized that her boss had been serious about recruiting from Music Row. Then the wheels started turning in Haley’s mind.

Really how much of a coincidence was it that Genevieve found someone from Music Row with the talent to surpass Rose? The woman didn’t even look comfortable singing in front of an audience but she hid it well. That told Haley that she was not a professional performer but possibly using it as a cover for something. Haley knew that there was something going on around the club and Rose had told her to stay away. And how did Rose figure out about that she had a witch heritage?

Looking at the woman, Haley wondered if she was here about those murders, like she was a cop or something. That didn’t make much sense since she had the kids with her. She decided to find out. She followed the three of them back to the motel. It was there that she mustered the courage to knock on the door.

As it turned out, Haley could help but mutter the spell that she had been taught when the woman refused to let her in or see her. After the woman moved in the way she expected, Haley knew who she was dealing with and made herself know to the woman who was named Angela. She was going to refuse but Haley told her to go to the club and perform. She spilled out quite a bit about her suspicions and in the end she offered to watch the kids for her. Now she was waiting with them and wondering how things were going.

****

It was Rose’s night off but she came to the club since she knew that Genevieve hired a new singer and one that she picked up off of Music Row. Rose thought that it was a sign that things may be looking up and she was curious about the new talent since they had to be _really_ good for Genevieve to notice and extend an offer. There was also another reason. She was tired; tired of putting on the smiles and pretending to like the life that Genevieve was offering her. She wanted to go home.

The night that Rose had left was still a blur in her mind. She did remember waking up and hearing the song. It was sung properly so she responded. She followed the song to where the singer was and had asked what it was that was needed. Rose received a nasty surprise when she found herself bound by that infernal clause that kept her from retaliating. The one who caught her showed little mercy in that respect, and told her that she was now bound and answerable only to her master.

That made her angry at the time and she did try to fight it at first. She was still trying since she got Haley to help her reach out to someone that would be familiar. It was her luck that she managed to make contact with the one who sang her song with such beauty and she spoke to her. It was not so good that her captor got wind of her trying to reach out for help and forced her to come back and she nearly attacked Haley for that. She could only hope that person she met would be able to help. She realized that she didn’t exactly leave a very good description of what needed to be done but she figured that the clues were easy enough to find.

“Ah come to see our new talent Rose?”

Rose slowly closed her eyes and opened them as she heard Genevieve’s voice come from behind. She had been hoping to remain hidden but Genevieve always seemed to know where she was and it disturbed her. She replied, “I was curious. I didn’t think that you would go for someone from Music Row.”

Genevieve gave a slight chuckle as she smiled. “Sometimes you have to go to the places that you find undesirable if you want to get what the business needs.”

“Still it’s Music Row. You know the regulars that hang out there.”

“I do but there is always a chance to find someone that is new to the area such as tonight’s performer.” Genevieve began to fix the rose hair pin in Rose’s hair. “My you are in the mood for having mussed up hair now do you?”

Rose resisted the urge to act back like push Genevieve away. She couldn’t do that though since she ran the risk of having holy hell brought down and she could sense them. They were nearby. She couldn’t risk exposing them and she told them to stay put. She focused on the woman fixing her hair ornament and replied, “It’s called artfully messy. It seems to be the new in, especially for the younger ones. It only works though for certain types.”

Rose scanned the audience to look for an example. She found him sitting near the bar looking a little uncomfortable being there unlike his friend who was flirting shamelessly with the bartender. She pointed him out to Genevieve and said, “Now that one could get away with it. The shaggy locks and that cute puppy expression would work better than any song I could conjure up.”

Genevieve followed Rose’s finger and noticed the man sitting there. Rose did have a point in terms of the look. He also looked like the perfect specimen. Good physique and good looks. It might be what she was looking for. His partner would also be a good specimen even though he was just a bit smaller. “You do have a good eye Rose.”

Rose inwardly cringed. She hadn’t meant to draw that type of attention to the guy. She could only hope that this new singer had the talent to draw his attention and keep it. She was to get that wish somewhat when the curtain opened to reveal the singer.

Rose tried hard and succeeded to not be too surprised at who was singing on the stage. She couldn’t believe it. There was hope for her to get out of this yet. She watched as the girl sang her opening song and she gave a slight frown. The song was…

“Interesting choice of song,” Genevieve said in contemplation. “It seems that our new star is calling you out for competition.”

Rose wasn’t so sure it was for competition. She suspected that the girl was trying to call her out but for a totally different purpose. She agreed with Genevieve though, “Probably. Her voice is very alluring.”

“Indeed,” Genevieve replied as she watched the taller of the two men sitting at the bar stare at her newest girl in surprise. It seemed apparent that they knew her. Probably an old flame or something. That would prove interesting if she set Rose on him with her song. “It seems our two boys are enraptured by her.”

Rose had seen it but she knew now what was going on. They knew the girl singing and they were not just some passerbys. They were hunters… at least the men were. She had seen how they were scoping the place out and looking around. So they were there to find the thing that had been killing those men.

Yet when they saw the girl singing, they looked shell shocked. It was obvious that they knew her. Were they working together or working separate angles? Rose knew though that they were in trouble; at least the boys were. Genevieve had her sights set on them and there was no doubt that she had something planned and it would involve her. It would be especially bad if either of them showed that they had some sort of attraction for the girl.

Rose kept the conversation going and replied, “Seems she has the whole house under her thrall. So many to choose from.”

“Yes. It is so hard to pick and choose. Yet I want those two. You work your charm on them Rose when you find the opportunity.”

Rose wore a bland expression. She didn’t want to do this. She was tired of this but the captor said she was to obey. She was to obey or never see them again. That was also followed up with a demand to reveal what the key was. As if she would tell her captor that. She replied, “I want to see something first. I’ll move in when I know for sure.”

It was a blanket statement but it seemed to satisfy Genevieve as she replied, “Excellent. I see you want to be sure of loyalties and the like. You really have picked up on the intricacies of this Rose. I am so glad you see that.”

 _If only you knew._ Rose continued to watch the girl. She could tell that the girl knew the two boys since she made a beeline to them without seeming to and giving slight flirting gestures before moving on to other patrons. The girl was smart in singling out the attention of multiple men.

Genevieve was watching the same thing and was impressed by the girl’s ability to move and create a thoroughly seductive picture all the while singing a song that could have been a jingle for all she cared. It was good for business and she could tell that they were going to demand a competition between the two or maybe even a duet. That was something to contemplate. She glanced at Rose who was watching the girl intently. She said, “Well I have business to attend to. Have fun dear.”

Genevieve started walking towards the stairs that led to her office. She paused to lean in and whisper to Rose, “Remember, I want those two boys.”

Rose nodded and let Genevieve pass. She didn’t notice that Genevieve stopped to speak with one of the security guards and look towards the boys.


	11. Chapter 11

Dean thought Club Albion was great at first but now he thought it was better than great and that was because the main event of the night was none other than Angela and he was getting thoroughly entertained because of Sam’s reaction. Sam was on his hunter mode and looking for any signs of things out of the ordinary while he was trying to enjoy himself. The cute little bartender even gave him her number. _I still got it._

When the house lights dimmed and the single guys started getting excited, Dean decided to turn his attention to the stage. Since they were getting excited, he figured she must be a looker and he might end up having plenty of company for tonight. The music wasn’t his beloved classic rock but it wasn’t all that horrible either. Granted the atmosphere was something out of the Al Capone days, it was pretty nice.

The curtain opened just as the first few bars started playing from the band. Dean got a good view of the back of the girl. The shoulders were bare and well toned. The back was a low scoop but the teaser was the scarf that wrapped around her neck and the ends trailed down the back. Her dark hair was draped in a similar fashion. Dean was getting anxious to see her face.

When she started singing her song about a rose, Dean frowned slightly in puzzlement. He wasn’t sure and thought his ears were playing tricks on him. When she turned to reveal her face, he knew that he wasn’t going insane. He had been thinking lewd thoughts of Angela of all people! Dean knew she was a looker but he never saw her in **that** fashion. He only made such comments to annoy Sam since he was sure about a few things.

Dean sat there for probably a few minutes in a state of shock as he watched Angela move with a slight sway to her hips. He glanced at Sam who looked like someone had clonked him upside the head with a 2 by 4 or a vengeful spirit decided he was a human ball. Watching his brother sitting there, Dean knew he was privy to a big secret that he was definitely going to milk for all it was worth. Sam thought he was bad now. Well he would be in for a surprise.

Dean watched with great amusement at his brother’s reaction to the attempted groping that various guys tried with Angela. He had seen Sam get pissed before and it was usually over other stuff and then there was the look he had when he killed Jake. The look Sam was giving was similar to that. It was like he wanted to walk up to eat guy that tried to touch her and beat him black and blue. Now Dean knew he would probably do the same thing but only if it was like the time those douches before Grant tried to get fresh with her. Sam wanted to go for the kill and it amused Dean greatly but he would have to do something if Sam decided to act upon his impulses.

There wasn’t much to do as Angela continued to sing her song. Dean didn’t know the words but they were soothing in a way. It didn’t matter what the song was. Her voice was what held his attention as he stared at her. It didn’t take her long to find him and Sam in the crowd and she worked her way towards them. He was impressed at how she deflected unwanted advances from the single guys who were suffering the bad case of being in heat. Dean elbowed Sam and said, “Damn she’s a looker. I thought that other dress made her sexy but this…”

Sam’s response was the bitch face. It didn’t last long since Angela had made it to them while the music was playing. Apparently she had seen the looks on their faces and while smiling she managed to mutter to Dean, “Don’t say anything.”

Dean took the hint as she caressed his face in a sensual way and ended it with a slight pinch on the cheek. He replied, “Oh I’ll have my fun later.”

Sam relaxed a little when he saw her pinch Dean. He had the sense to realize that she was working her angle of the case but he couldn’t help but not like how these other guys were looking at her. Dean wasn’t helping either but that was Dean. He was always flirting with Angela when he got in the mood and she humored him. It was just a little different now.

Sam wasn’t a blind idiot. He could see that the dress she was wearing showed off her figure nicely and he could venture a guess that she disliked every minute she was in it. He remembered the fuss she had put up the last time she wore a dress. She did a good job of hiding her dislike as she continued her song giving a slight pinch on his shoulder. He took that as the same warning she gave Dean and before his brother could say anything he gave him a slight elbow.

It didn’t end with the one song though. Since it was her ‘opening night’ she was singing two songs. By that time she had moved away from him and Dean and headed back towards the stage. He could hear the bars of the second song. When she made her way back up, a hand got through her guard and touched… Sam gritted his teeth. He couldn’t help it though.

Dean saw the warning signs but was too late to stop his brother from getting out of his seat and following Angela towards the douche that touched her. The best he could do was to follow and try to make sure that Sam didn’t do anything stupid. He gave a smile to the bartender and hurried after his brother who managed to get to the douche and he was saying, “Don’t touch her like that.”

Dean recognized the dangerous tones in Sam’s voice. This was going to get bad and the douche didn’t even see that he was in serious trouble. The douche replied, “What’s it to you? She ain’t your girlfriend.”

Dean knew that Sam knew the guy was drunk but that wasn’t going to stop his brother from making a point if necessary. _Damn Angie, he has it bad and you don’t see it._ He said, “Come on Sam. The guy’s a drunken douche.” He put his hand on Sam’s shoulder to try and steer him away.

“Dean.”

Dean knew that by Sam just saying his name meant that pretty much nobody messed with Angela or him and got away with it. He couldn’t let this get out of hand so Dean countered, “Sam.”

“Dean… he…”

“I know Sam but…”

“Hey gigantor why don’t you and the lady take it outside. There are others who want to watch the show,” the drunken douche added.

Dean should have realized that Angela had been watching the whole thing while she was singing. She wouldn’t let anything get out of hand if she could help it. He was right as she appeared while still singing.

_Some others I’ve seen_

_Might never be mean_

_Might never be cross_

_Or try to be boss_

Dean watched as Angela put herself between Sam and the douche. He almost laughed when her hair smacked the douche in the face. Dean heard the hooting of the douche’s friends and some saying that he got burned. Dean was glad one disaster was averted but now he had the problem of dealing with Sam and his temper since he knew his brother wasn’t going to let this go easily. He looked for his brother thinking about what to do. What caught his attention was how Angela was looking at Sam.

It wasn’t the kind that he had seen out of chicks who were infatuated or even that L-word he had used loosely a few times. It wasn’t even the look she would give when she was scolding either of them for some act of stupidity. Dean couldn’t quite put his finger on it as she looked Sam in the eye as she continued to sing. He heard the power in her voice and wondered if she had something tied to that mind mojo she could do but he thought better of it since she would never use it on either of them.

_For nobody else, gave me a thrill_

_With all your faults, I love you still_

_It had to be you, wonderful you_

_It had to be you_

Sam felt his temper cool drastically as he focused on Angela’s face while she looked at him. He was somewhat amused when she stared at the douche and then turned around and smacked him in the face with her hair. He realized that he didn’t have to jump to her defense then and he was well aware that she was capable of defending herself. He just didn’t like anyone treating her like she was a piece of meat and he knew Dean didn’t like it either.

The way she was looking at him, Sam couldn’t help but be mesmerized by her. He knew it wasn’t her mojo at work. After they dealt with the seven deadly sins and questioning Ellen, he asked her to try it on him. The feeling was different. He was drawn in more by her voice. It was soothing to the temper he had worked himself into and just looking at her…

She sang the last few lines and moved in close. Sam didn’t move since she had gotten in his face before but it was unexpected when she gave a soft kiss on his cheek. She pulled back and with an icy glare at the douche, she walked up the stage steps and towards the back allowing the curtain to fall. Sam blinked a bit and gave a slight frown while everyone else was clapping and cheering for Angela. It was Dean who brought him back into focus saying, “Damn Sammy. I didn’t think she would do it but you must have made an impression on her.”

“What?”

Dean could not believe that Sam was that oblivious to what just happened. Either that or he was in some sort of dopey phase that was taking time to wear off. He decided it was the former since he had pushed Sam’s buttons before regarding Angela. He replied, “Dude, Angie just kissed you before you decided to get into a piss match with that douche over there.”

Sam took a moment and remembered that she did. He also recalled how she stepped in between him and that douche bag. The last thing he remembered was her kissing him. That caught him by surprise since she had never done anything like that before. Not even when she was playing a role to get what they needed for a job. “Why would she do that?”

It sounded rhetorical but Dean knew better than that. He had an idea to the answer why but he wasn’t going to tell. Nope they had to figure it out for themselves. He would just give what he hoped was a reasonable explanation of what Angela would do. He replied, “Seriously? Sam you were about ready to punch the guy’s lights out.”

“Nothing he wouldn’t have deserved.”

“Whatever, Sam she was just trying to keep us out of trouble as usual. If we weren’t in a crowded joint like this, she probably would have used her mojo on the guy.”

Sam contemplated on this and figured that Dean was right. It would have been a stupid thing if he got into a fight over a douche touching her like that but he couldn’t help it. It then occurred to him that he might have embarrassed her and he said, “Dean, where is she? I gotta apologize.”

“Whoa easy there Sasquatch. She just went back stage,” Dean replied. He held his brother when it became evident that he was going to follow. “Look if it means that much to you, I’ll go find her. She probably is hiding from us now. You know how that is. Just sit tight at that table there and I’ll find her and we could talk about the case.” Dean turned and left before Sam could say anything else.

****

Rose had watched the entire performance remembering another time when she heard that voice. She sighed knowing that once again that beautiful voice was going to get the girl into trouble and that trouble was going to come from her because she had asked for help. Tonight was no exception when she noticed someone touch her in an inappropriate fashion.

The tall boy she had pointed out earlier had been quick to react and was followed by his partner. It took Rose a moment to realize that the one who touched the girl was one of Genevieve’s security guards. That crone was doing this on purpose. She must have seen the reaction between both boys and wanted to test it further. That kind of thing made Rose’s blood boil. The reaction from the girl was somewhat unexpected.

The girl continued to sing but she effectively made herself a barrier between the guard and the boy. Rose couldn’t help but chuckle when she saw the hair smack. The way how she looked at the boy though had her thinking. She watched as the boy visibly calmed down listening to her sing and then it was done when she kissed him. Rose thought she saw a flicker of regret before the girl turned and walked off the stage to end her performance.

_That was interesting._

Rose didn’t think much more of it as she followed the guard to where Genevieve had been watching. So the crone saw everything. Rose realized that this was going to weigh in heavily for anything that she was going to do tonight. She turned to watch as the boy’s partner motioned for him to sit and he went off. Well maybe she could warm him while trying to do what Genevieve wanted her to do.

Rose put on her best smile and sauntered through the club making a beeline for the boy. She stopped and looked down at him and said, “Hey there handsome. You care for some company?”

“Just waiting for my brother.”

“Come on. I know you have a chivalrous bone in there after what I just saw.”

Rose could see the boy cringe slightly. He then replied, “It’s fine.”

Rose realized that he was distracted and knew that she was really going to have to work hard at this. She could fee Genevieve’s eyes on her so she applied herself to getting the boy’s attention. “Well I take it you’re new to Club Albion. I’m Rose.”

Finally the boy looked at her and his reaction surprised her. He wasn’t even interested in her. It didn’t matter. That could make things easier. He replied, “Sam.”

Rose set herself out to be a good companion. “Well Sam. How did you enjoy the performance? I think the new singer will do very nicely. It’s been a while since I heard a voice like that.”

“Yeah.”

“Something the matter?”

“Nothing. I just have a few things on my mind.” Sam looked around the room with a distracted air aware that he wasn’t being pleasant company at the moment.

Rose watched as Sam scanned the crowd for his brother. They must be an unusual lot and if they knew the girl, then that would explain a few things. If they were partners it was only right that they look out for each other. “I’ll say. It’s not every day a singer gives a kiss to a guy of her choice.”

“Saving my bacon is more like it.”

“Oh so you know her.”

“Just friends,” Sam replied. He began to toy with the glass of water a waiter thoughtfully brought to him. “I think I may have embarrassed her.”

“I’m sure she’ll forgive you. A girl with a good friend like you finds it easy to forgive.” Rose took a sip of her glass of water. She had to say something. It was now or never. “Often times you find the most interesting things in the most obvious of places.”

Sam turned his head to look at Rose. She was pretty but it was not really worth the effort to flirt or anything like that and he wasn’t Dean. What she said about finding things caught his attention since Angela said something similar and usually about every so often when they were stumped on where to go with a case. He didn’t know if it was something he should be paying attention to or not so he decided to play along. He replied, “Yeah. Sometimes it could be right in front of you and you might not see it but it’s there.”

Rose nodded in agreement and said, “Funny old world it is. Sometimes keeping weather eye out also helps in finding things.” She then stood up and said, “Well this has been a pleasant conversation. I guess I better go before people start recognizing me.” She left before Sam could say anything and she skirted along the crowds to get back to her observing place.

The girl and Sam’s brother finally showed up and she found it strange that there was no awkwardness between the two. Probably the girl was good at hiding her emotions or maybe she did treat it as part of a job while staving off disaster. Rose looked for Genevieve and saw that she was waiting for her. Well time to get this over with. She walked over to where her boss was.

****

Angela took a deep breath as she leaned against the door of the dressing room she had been assigned to. What possessed her to do that? The goal of working a cover was to not draw attention to yourself. Yet she did that. It was like breaking a cardinal rule or committing a horrible sin or something that equaled that. It was like making a bloody crossroads deal like the deal she got Dean into and was now desperately trying to fix.

She put a hand to her forehead and tried for the life of her to think about why she did what she just did. Well the obvious reason at the time was that whatever Sam was about to do would have gotten him and Dean thrown out and all because of what? Well she was upset that the douche touched her rear and she would have dealt with it but Sam decided to do things his way.

It seemed like the right thing to do at the time. She even got to show her annoyance at the douche by doing a hair flick that stung. When she looked at Sam as she sung the best she probably had ever done in her life, she just… She had no idea what to describe it as except she managed to convince herself that it was the best way to cool tempers. She didn’t really have to kiss him though. The only time she did was when he died and that was in a platonic fashion.

She heard the door knock and then, “Angie? You in there? It’s me Dean.”

Angela sighed. Dean was going to go to town with this. She got off the door and opened it enough so she could peer through the crack. She might as well have a little fun with it. It couldn’t get any worse. “Dean, what are you doing here?”

Dean knew this game well. He could play along and drag it out. “Nothing much. Sam and I were in the neighborhood following up on the case and we find that our friend and partner just became the top performer.”

“Really? I didn’t notice the crowd since I was trying to find the Rose like I said I would. I had no idea that our paths would cross,” Angela replied. Sarcasm tinged her voice slightly.

“I had no idea either but I do have to ask about the kids though. You didn’t…”

Angela gave a straight face as she replied, “They’re in the car I managed to find. Don’t worry I cracked the window.”

Dean couldn’t believe he heard what Angela just said. She did what? She wouldn’t do that to kids now would she? He looked at her as if she was out of her mind and yet she was giving him that stoic expression. He knew she was good at messing with him and Sam but this was way out of the boundaries of what he was used to her playing with. He had to be sure he heard her right and he made a slight face as he asked, “What?”

The look Angela gave was gone and replaced by a smile as she said, “Relax Dean. They’re safe. I made sure that someone was with them and I trust her. If you want the whole story… let’s just say that I found a long lost member of our Celt friends.”

Dean was still wrapping his mind around the fact that Angela had been messing with him again. He managed to reply, “So they are babysitting and you are undercover.”

By that time Angela managed to open the door wide enough to walk through. She gave a slight shrug of her shoulders, “More or less. Our friend is… was a singer here. She’s been noticing things going on here.”

“Okay. Sam and I found out a few things too. You’re gonna like this since you seem to have a knack for knowing about things we’ve never seen before.” Dean finally recovered from his shock and shifted into that cheeky grin he knew amused her as well as got her on the defense for a possible prank or joke. “So… you gonna come out and continue to stun the crowd more? I don’t know about you but I wouldn’t want to miss the chance to escort a star.”

Angela gave a tolerant grin at Dean. Oh yeah he was going to go all the way. She might as well humor him since it would be a blue moon the next time she wore a dress and of her own volition. This was more along the lines of taking one for the team. She replied, “Well I don’t want to miss out on being escorted by one of the best hunters I know.” She gave a coy smile to tease.

Dean gave one of his dopey grins and held out his arm. “Well my lady?”

Angela played along and took his elbow trying hard not to giggle. They started walking down the hallway to the door used by stage hands, band members and performers. She asked, “How did you manage to get security to let you in?”

“Just told them that I was your cousin who is like a brother to you and I traveled all the way from Montana to see you perform,” Dean replied giving a buff job on his nails. “Worked like a charm.”

“I bet they just sopped that up,” Angela agreed. “So you’re not too mad about the surprise performance?”

“Are you kidding? Angie you rock. No wonder Sam slept like a baby in the car that one time… er…” Dean was going to mention when they headed to Hudson but that was something he occasionally felt bad for since she was putting her spare time into helping him and he knew it was killing her to keep it a secret from Sam. As far as he knew, she never lied to either of them and with everything that happened about secrets… He looked at her for once annoyed that she was slightly taller than him and more Sasquatch’s height.

“I remember. Then again nice little lullabies can get even a hunter with a perverse aversion to chick flick moments to sleep,” Angela replied with a slight smile. She had long forgiven Dean for that. “I just don’t sing that much anymore and I think you were able to see why tonight.”

“A little. Not to diss your figure Angie but you held them with your voice. Are you sure you’re not a siren or something like that?”

Angela made a slight frown mingled with a chuckle. “A what? No. I just seem to I don’t know draw a crowd. It was considered a proper accomplishment back in my day.”

“I can say that Sam went nuts. I think he thinks he has to protect your virtue or something.”

“And you don’t?”

“Aw come on Angie you know that no one messes with you except me or Sam.” Dean paused to open the door. As they started walking out, Dean caught a mixture of jealous looks to simpering idiots. Some were directed at him and some were at her. “Looks like we might need Sasquatch in the mood for later.”

“My fault on that,” Angela replied pointedly ignoring the stares as they walked to where Sam was waiting at the table. She tried to ignore the fact that Sam was looking like a kicked puppy and looking to apologize for something. It was going to be a long night.


	12. Chapter 12

Haley peered out of the window of the room being careful to not disturb any of the salt lines that had been laid while nervously touching her necklace. She had been nervous ever since she first came to this room following that girl Angela and her kids. After passing a battery of questions and strange tests, Angela had been a little more accepting of her.

The trump card that Haley held was her heritage. Her Celt origins were unusual since her skin tone was not typical of ancestral Celts but she had been born into one of the three tribes. Her mother was a Celt and her father was an African witch doctor hence her witch mojo. That chant she muttered was something her father taught her when she wanted to be sure about a human, particularly the Halflings that bore the blood of bloodsuckers.

She hadn’t meant to hurt Angela but she had a feeling about her. Then the kids jumped in saying that she was family, referring to the way how the tribes referred to their members. That seemed to cinch the deal with Angela and Haley realized that she had been talking about the one being her father said was destined to save the world along with two guns that were her equals.

Once the formalities had been over with, Haley explained about the club and what had been happening. She gave her suspicions and then revealed about her conversation with Rose.

“So Rose knew what you are?”

Haley had to admit that she was a little intimidated by the brisk manner in which Angela asked her questions. Yet it was also reassuring. Her father was similar when he had been teaching her the art. Her mother considered the more motherly half but she was also strict when teaching her basic self-defense. She replied, “Yes but I don’t know how she figured it out. She asked me to help her into the dream walk. I used African dream root.”

“So Rose is the missing guardian,” Angela muttered.

Haley knew what was meant by the guardian. That meant that there was a tribe here somewhere. She gave a look and replied, “Someone is after the seal?”

“Not sure about that. The deaths seem to be motivated through petty means.” Angela mused through the idea deep in thought. She continued thinking while she tied a ribbon in the little girl’s hair to tie it back in a pony tail.

“Well Rose picks a different guy every night she performs and they end up dead. Maybe it is a test about fidelity or something like that. If someone were to kidnap a guardian it would be to get at the seal.”

That led to Haley asking if Angela was still going through with being a singer for Genevieve. She was surprised that Angela had been more determined to do it but she was hesitant. She didn’t want to leave the kids alone and she didn’t want to take them with her either. Haley then heard her mutter something about ‘Sam’ and ‘Dean’ and wondered if those were friends of hers. In the end Haley ended up volunteering to watch the kids.

“Angie will be fine Haley.”

Haley turned from looking out the window to look at the little five year old face that was looking up at her. The little girl looked just like her brother with identical eyes and hair. The major difference was the fact that they were brother and sister. She looked at the girl and asked, “You think so?”

Clyde joined his sister and said, “We know so. William told us the stories about Absolution. She is the toughest warrior anyone knows.”

Haley had heard of Absolution. Who hadn’t? Almost everywhere there were stories about the one who was to bring absolution. If Haley had been born into a normal family she probably would have thought it to be completely absurd.

“But we aren’t supposed to call her that. She says she wields Absolution and that it’s her sword’s name. What does that mean Haley?” Clare looked up at Haley.

What did that mean? That was a very good question. Haley didn’t quite know. Her father used his people’s word for the name. Angela clearly fit the description and she clearly winced at the shoulder. Haley never saw it but she was sure that was where some sort of marking was. The stories said that Absolution would be marked by a divine presence. That of course started a whole argument over which god or gods or even the Christian God. Haley didn’t really know the answer so she improvised, “Well maybe it’s because she thinks that the stories are embellishing things. She probably likes to tell the truth.”

Haley had no idea if that was the case or not. She didn’t know Angela very well but it seemed like a contradiction to the stories that she had heard. She figured that to be the most likely scenario. It seemed to mollify the kids and Clare especially for she replied, “That makes sense but Angie shouldn’t be afraid of what she is.”

Haley had no idea where this was going but she was reminded of her refusing to acknowledge who she was. She left her home; virtually she ran away. Was it the same for Angela? She smiled at Clare and replied, “Sometimes people feel that they aren’t ready for something big like that.”

The kids looked up at her with a confused expression. Haley watched them for a moment and thought of something else, “Well your friend probably doesn’t think she is that person you know from the stories you’ve heard. Sometimes stories say one thing but the person it is about may not see it that way.”

Seeing that it wasn’t quite sinking in, Haley checked her watch. Seeing what time it was she smiled and said, “I think it’s time for bed. Let’s go.”

It was about twenty minutes later that the kids were dressed and tucked into bed. Haley finished tucking them in when Clare said, “Why did you leave us?”

Haley frowned at the girl. She had never seen the kids before that day in her life. In fact she never mentioned her leaving the tribes in front of the kids. She mentioned that she was a member but nothing more. She replied, “What makes you think that?”

Clare settled down into the blankets but Clyde sat up. He said, “You said you were of our people but you are not of our tribe.”

Haley was shrewd enough to guess that these children were not ordinary children. They didn’t even age like tribal children. “You are right. I am not part of your tribe but I am of our people.”

Clyde looked at her with a puzzled expression. “Then why did you leave? Are you here to help find the Rose?”

Clare was already drifting off to sleep but she was yawning as if to stay awake. She closed her eyes as she laid her head on the pillow. She wished that Angela was there. Haley was a good person but Clare liked Angela and her friends Sam and Dean. Haley knew the stake of things living with the tribe even though she hadn’t lived with her own tribe for a long time. Adults were complicated people at times. Giving a yawn she said, “Protect the seal.”

Haley looked at the girl who was asleep and then the boy who seemed to like the answer his sister gave. He too began to settle down. He was down and asleep leaving Haley to wonder about what the girl had said. She made her think about things she hadn’t thought about for a long time. She went to look out the window again before settling down in a chair to wait. She had failed to notice that there was a raven sitting on a tree outside and that it had been watching the room the entire time. Knowing the nature of an opening night, it would be awhile before Angela returned. Maybe she would have figured out everything about Rose. She sat and thought about the conversation she just had while playing with the pendant of her necklace.

****

It was a relief to be out of the dress but it didn’t lessen the amount of looks she got. Angela sighed as she put the last of her outfit away. After Dean came to get her, it was a little bit of an awkward moment since Sam looked like he was in trouble for something. She cut him off knowing that he would probably track her down later to talk. Right now they had to talk about business. Well as much as they could.

It turned out to be slightly difficult since they were greeted by guests who came to congratulate her on her performance. Some of them made comments about the kiss she gave which surprisingly had her smiling like nothing was wrong. It was about fifteen minutes of this before she managed to ask, “So what are you two doing here?”

Dean had to be cute about it and he replied, “Following a lead.” He sounded like one of those film noir movies or where he was the cheesy detective. “May have found someone and their name is trouble.”

Sam didn’t think it was very funny. “Dean.”

It was then Angela got a surprise when she felt a kiss on her shoulder and a fresh rose shoved under her nose. She looked up and seeing who it was she managed to get out, “Cody?”

She had failed to notice the look Sam got on his face but it hadn’t been missed by Dean. She missed the whole silent exchange by the brothers and their silent elbows to each other while she talked to Cody, “I’m surprised they let you in.” She gave a smile to show that she was happy to see him. She had grown to like the guy and felt that she owed him some sort of thanks.

Cody replied, “Hey, I had to see the girl I helped land a job on her opening night and I can clean up good when I want to. You thought that I was always a dirty street musician?” He gave a slight smirk to indicate that he was teasing her.

“Never thought so in the first place. Thanks for coming.” Angela gave a smile back.

“I knew there was something special about you. You’ll make it big now. Good luck,” Cody replied. “Now I think I better split. Got music to write and all that. I still gotta run my corner.”

Angela couldn’t help but chuckle. Cody had been a big help just being an instrumentalist. She still had her share of the money made that afternoon. She had managed to sneak a few extra dollars into his stack for him. She looked at the rose he had given her. It wasn’t a red rose but a white one, a pure white. She hadn’t seen a pure white rose in years. The ones she had seen had tinges of yellow in them. She gave a tentative sniff and savored the rosy scent and it brought back a memory of the last person who gave her such a gift. Back then she never figured him to be a sentimental type and never called him out on it like Dean would. She wondered but then dismissed it since it was highly unlikely since they had not parted on good terms.

“You planning on using that against whatever is keeping your guardian?” Dean asked the question amused to see Angela show a sentimental side of herself.

“Yes, watch me conquer my enemies with the power of floral arrangements. Feel my wrath as I spear you with my rosy scent,” Angela replied sounding like one of those bad hero pictures. “It’s been a while since I’ve seen one this white. So really what are you two doing here?”

Angela smiled as she shut the door to the armoire. It was no secret now. They were on the same case. She knew the guardian was a kelpie and they figured it out but had been under the impression that it might be a shifter. She informed the brothers that they were partially right but it wasn’t just the kelpie they were dealing with. So they made plans to hook up back at the motel and go over the plan of what to do.

Angela picked up her jacket and put it on. She had left her hair as she had styled it for that evening finding that it suited her and it did keep it out of the way when she needed both of her eyes to see. Making sure everything was locked up, she picked up the rose Cody had given her and tucked it into the band holding her hair up. She would press it later when she got back and it wouldn’t get smashed up there.

She headed down the hall and started walking through the club. She was waylaid by none other than Genevieve who came down the stairs from her office saying, “That was a marvelous performance you gave tonight. You could have brought down the house literally but I am impressed that you managed to keep that from happening.”

Angela felt her spine tingle. As Dean would put it, her spidey senses were tingling. She had been wary of Genevieve since she first met her that day. There was something about the woman that had her feel that she should be careful with what she said. She couldn’t smell anything like demon blood emanating from the woman so that meant she was human or she could be another creature that just didn’t register on her senses. Since she was undercover, she was obligated to reply and said, “I dislike confrontations that disrupt the atmosphere a diligent owner put so much time and effort into.”

Genevieve smiled as she approached her newest star. She had watched the whole confrontation from her view in the office. No mere human could do that. That took someone with a special talent and possibly a power of some sort. The way how she looked at the boy that caught her attention was interesting too and she had spent the evening watching how the three interacted. Then that street musician came up and gave her newest girl a white rose. Interesting.

Right now though she would try to get some answers but it seemed that the girl was good at telling but not revealing. She replied, “And such an effort is appreciated. I must say that movement with your hair was rather provocative.”

“Diverting. Few people know that if done just right, hair can produce a mighty sting.”

Genevieve gave a slight smile, “Indeed. Well if you can maintain a composure like that three nights a week, then you may just have a bright and illustrious future here at Club Albion.”

Angela returned the smile with one of her own. As if she was going to stay on very long. She would only be here as long as the case demanded it and from the looks of things, it wasn’t going to be that much longer. Not if they managed to find the location of the kelpie’s hiding place. She replied, “That sounds almost too good to be true.”

“You do have a magnificent voice. You may just put my regular star Ruby Rose to shame. She has a rather alluring voice.”

Angela decided to take a slight risk. It would be worth it if she got some sort of answer from the woman. She replied, “Yes I heard it has a watery feel that is beautify but dangerous.” She smiled as she said it to make her seem more friendly than she really was.

“Anything is only as dangerous as a person makes it out to be. I could say that your voice has a certain quality that could be considered dangerous. You after all had the men swarming to gain your favor. Not too far from when Rose performs but a fight did almost occur,” Genevieve countered with a sly smile. “So tell me are those two boys friends of yours?”

Angela would have raised her hackles then and there since there was some sort of implication in that question. She kept her head thought and remembered Dean’s cover story to security and replied, “Cousins from Montana. We grew up together so we are more like brothers and sister.”

That certainly explained the way the taller one reacted. It could be taken as big brother watching over little sister. Genevieve nodded as the answer became more acceptable to her. She replied, “That really is a nice thing to see. Family members looking out after each other. That was something that seemed to have died out with the passing of time. Now it’s more everyone is out for themselves.”

Angela raised a brow. “Well our parents were firm believers in sticking up for family.” She knew that she was saying it with more of a tongue in cheek since she really had no family and she had observed how the boys looked after each other. “Even with the change in standards, they always told us that family is really the only thing you can trust.”

Genevieve looked at the girl with a shrewd smile. “Interesting that you say that about family. Sometimes families lie to each other and often about the important things. That would put a dampener on things now would it? If you can’t trust your family, then who can you trust?”

Angela could say something about that. They weren’t family but there had been plenty of secrets and lies that had mucked things up for a while and they still were. Yet in her case the boys seemed willing to trust that she was doing what she thought was right. Dean accepted a few things knowing what was involved because she was straight up with him. Sam too and both of them knew that if she didn’t want to say anything, it was because she wasn’t ready to and they respected that and she held that same standard for them. Though it seemed that Sam was going to find a way to amend that… well she already did with her powers.

That didn’t mean that she was going to let her guard down or anything like that. Genevieve she figured was a woman that knew how to manipulate a situation to benefit her. It couldn’t be a coincidence that she mentioned the whole secrets and lies thing or could it? Angela thought that maybe she might have a slight case of paranoia but she hadn’t forgotten about Gordon Walker and a few other things. She especially couldn’t forget that vision she had of Gordon as a vampire and he was out for blood and laboring under some delusion or other. Genevieve was waiting for an answer so she would give it. She replied, “A relationship would have to be badly strained for that to occur. I guess I am lucky that my cousins and I are so close.”

“Indeed you are,” Genevieve replied giving a final study of the girl. “Well I better not keep you waiting. I’m sure that your cousins and the friend who gave you that rose are waiting for you. A late night celebration perhaps?”

Angela gave a slight smile and a nod. “Something like that. Good night.” She then turned and walked towards the door and out into the parking lot where the Impala was waiting.

Genevieve watched as the driver got out and teased her girl about something or other and overemphasizing being a gentleman. So the flirt flirted with his own cousin? Genevieve got the feeling that there was more to that trio than meets the eye. As to the street musician, she had some business to take care of. She replied as the Impala drove out of sight, “A good night indeed.”

****

Even though it was pitch black in the park, a person could navigate easily as long as they knew where to go. Cody knew the park and Music Row like the back of his hand having been there for quite some time. He came to that town a few years ago and started building his street cred. It was easy for him since he had the talent for it. That was something he kept a tight lid on when the others asked him what his secret was.

He stuck around even when Haley came into town. He knew right off the bat what she was but since he was not one to blab, he could keep a secret. In fact he would entertain her when she came to the park the first few days and when he caught her humming to his tunes, he began offering her a split of the profits if they teamed up. It worked and they made a nice little bundle until the new bad boy came into town and created Club Albion. Cody didn’t bat an eye but continued to muddle through with Haley until the sexy bitch convinced her to sing at the club.

It didn’t slow business down much since the chuckleheads of this town loved their music and he could play just about anything on his guitar. Some of the songs he composed himself about days long gone by. They were times that he missed and regretted about many things and it came out in his songs and the music he played when they didn’t have words. It was a living and then she came into town.

With the deaths that had been happening, he just knew sooner or later it would bring the attention of a hunter.  It shouldn’t have been a surprise that it got her attention but it was mainly because he got a good look at her after what had happened weeks previously when that disturbance was felt.  It was even more of a shocker that she was in the company of two kids. Still a hunter was in town and he could at least point her in the right direction though she would need little help in that regard but it was a chance.

He had to make the first move since she wasn’t about ready to jump up and gain attention. She never did that and he knew it. She preferred to sit back and work from the shadows since that was how she usually got a job done. Thing was she was going to need to get out there and show what she was capable of. Hell he knew what she could do. He sauntered up to her and started talking to her and making it seem like he was a musician who knew a true musician and managed to convince her to get up and sing. Knowing her nature, he offered a fair split of the day’s earnings.

He had almost forgotten how she sounded when she really sang. He had once called her a regular Christine Daae and she just gave a wry smile at that thought. Hell she could shoot down Cher with her song choice instead of Jesse James. It worked though because the crowds came and the sexy bitch caught wind of her. She was in.

Cody couldn’t resist going to the club to see her perform. It was nice to watch without having to worry about being in tune or anything like that. Her song choices were typical and just right for the occasion. He was getting good entertainment until he saw that hand snake through. He resisted the urge but low and behold, his favorite pair of brothers was on the scene. She handled it though with perfection. That little stunt she pulled was a bit unusual for her but it worked and it was interesting to see.

He couldn’t resist giving her the rose and a kiss afterwards. He didn’t miss the look the tall guy was giving and thought about it as he chatted with her. She didn’t suspect a thing and that was how he liked it or if she did, she was good at keeping up a pretense. Even if she didn’t remember the last time he gave her a rose, it still was worth it.

Cody smiled to himself as he walked down the path to where his digs were for the night. He wanted to think some more about what he saw in the club and maybe figure out a few tricks to pull for later when he felt like it. He happened to chance along the canal when he heard a sound. It wasn’t the typical splashing of water so he turned to look. What he saw had him give a wry smile and he said, “Took ya long enough. So how do you want to do this?”

He had his answer with the sound of waves crashing. It reminded him of the ocean. He watched his adversary take a stand and say, “It is not my doing.”

Cody gave a slight sigh, “I know sister. Don’t worry about it. It will all work out in the end. She’s the best there is.”

“You say that with such confidence.”

“Let’s just say we go back and I know her. So take your best shot.”


	13. Chapter 13

The tape was up and the crime scene unit was taking photos and the detectives were milling about and asking questions. To what appeared to be a drunk. Sam looked around and at the canal. Another victim had been claimed and there wasn’t even much to go on. He looked at the officer with whom he was speaking to and asked, “So you have no way of identifying who the latest victim is?”

“No Agent Townsend,” the officer replied. He frowned suddenly and asked, “Um what is your partner doing?”

Sam glanced to see Angela kneeling and examining a puddle of blood and some debris that looked like came from the canal. She was fingering something that looked like a rock. He wasn’t even sure what she was doing though he was sure that she may have sniffed the blood. He replied, “She’s a specialist in crime scene as well as behavioral analysis. My partner and I called her out to take a look at the crime scene photos and evidence.”

Inwardly Sam cursed at Dean’s insistence that he take Angela along. It could seriously blow their cover there since the cops knew him and Dean to be the agents assigned. As Dean put it though, Angela could charm anyone into buying a cover story. The major problem was that after her performance, someone would be bound to recognize her.

That had been solved easily as he walked up to her with the officer he was speaking to. He asked, “Find anything Agent Morgan?”

Angela stood up and peered at her visitors through a pair of thin wire framed glasses with green eyes and dirt blonde hair and spoke with a perfect southern twang, “Well I know the pool of blood is obvious sir but this is most unusual.” She kneeled back down while putting on a glove to pick up a nondescript object.

To her observers, it looked just like a piece of rock, possibly concrete. Sam watched and frowned in near horror as she stuck her tongue out and tapped the rock on in. To cover for it, he asked, “What are you doing?”

Angela looked up at Sam and knew that he was stunned with what she just did. She explained with her southern twang, “Well what we have here is bone sir. You see the way you can tell is by touching it to your tongue. Bone is porous. What I’m guessing is that something washed out of this canal here with some force. The bone’s also pretty aged so whoever it belongs to has been dead for quite some time.” She held the bone up to look at it some more. “Now I don’t know if it is related to this case or not since your reports indicated that you had the bodies. Have you had any missing persons that you wouldn’t have thought fit?”

“Um maybe. I would have to check on that,” the officer replied. He was rather intimidated by this woman who just stuck a human bone in her mouth. He would keep his mouth shut though. The FBI had their own way of doing things. “I’ll go check on that. Could you um… bag that please?”

Angela gave a slight smile of reassurance as she replied, “I would but I don’t know your evidence coding rules. Maybe it would be better if one of your own guys did it. Preserve the chain of custody.”

“That would be fine.”

Angela held the bone out to the analyst and gave her details about where she found it and the like. When she was free, she joined Sam as they walked through the park. When they were out of ear shot of anyone, she said, “The blood. It’s not human.”

“Okay and what about the bone fragment? You know some of the things you do could be considered freaky,” Sam replied. “I hope you got a hepatitis shot or something.”

Angela sighed. It had been a trying day all morning. The night before was spent going over what they had found coupled by the surprise that Haley was actually one of those good witches. Angela always suspected that they never quite believed her that there was such as anything as a good witch. The dose of reality was enough to make them believers especially after Haley did a simple spell.

Then there was also the incident at the club and because of the fact that she knew they were after the kelpie and didn’t bother saying anything until now, it never got brought up. Then this latest victim popped up and at Dean’s insistence she went with Sam after giving herself a major makeover to make her look like a nerdy analyst. Now she was facing a moody Sam and she had another victim on her hands. She replied, “Why, would that make you feel better?”

Sam realized he wasn’t being fair and she was just responding. Damn and she asked him to be patient. Well he wasn’t doing good with that. “Angie, it’s just…”

Angela stopped and said, “Just what? Sam I appreciate what you did last night and I’m sorry if I embarrassed you by kissing you but I wasn’t about to let you and Dean get thrown out because of a stupid douche who thought I might bite after him touching me like that.” Angela looked away for a moment and sighed. She then added, “Look, I know you know how I feel about being touched in certain ways and believe me I wanted to knock his block off but you or Dean don’t have to run to my rescue every time.”

“It just bothers me that people seem to think you’re easy or something to play with. And when you react like you did, I almost get the impression that you don’t care. I remember how you went incredible Hulk before.”

Angela chewed her lower lip slightly before replying, “I do care Sam. Believe me it takes effort to resist the temptation. I was doing a job. I was trying to draw out the guardian since I figured it would have assumed the persona of a woman. I was focused on getting it back and I learned a long time ago that you have to bite the bullet sometimes and be patient. The opportunity to deal back comes around sooner or later.”

That did make Sam feel a little better. After going to bed last night, he stayed awake for some time examining his thoughts and concluded something similar. He just needed to talk to her about it as well as get over what had been bothering him about the whole evening. “I guess it came sooner. You use a special hairspray or something for you hair?”

Angela gave a slight chuckle. “No. You just have to know how to swing it. So everything’s okay now?”

Sam nodded, “Yeah. So while I was finding out about what happened, what did you find?”

It was back to business as usual but things seemed better now. Angela meant it though about coming to her rescue every time. She knew they would back her up when she needed it but she didn’t want to be beholden to that. She replied, “Like I said before, that blood is not human. What it is…  I can say for certainty that it’s not demon blood.”

“Good thing I guess. Could it be the kelpie’s?”

Angela shrugged her shoulders as they continued down the path to the car. “It could be if the victim was lucky to get a strike in. Kelpies generally strike fast once they have their victim. The only thing I could think of is that maybe the victim was not human also.”

“So you’re saying we may have more than a kelpie and a witch on our plates?”

“Just a thought,” Angela replied, “That or it could be the kelpie took out its victim and in a rush of glee actually cut itself and left a sizeable pool of blood. The bone fragment could have been from a missing person’s case. That’s probably the most likely scenario.”

Sam had to admit that she was right on that account. The thing that puzzled him was the connection to the club. So he asked, “Any ideas on why the victims were chosen from the club?”

“It’s a front.” Angela stopped at a coffee stand. She hadn’t had time for a morning cup since she had to become a little miss librarian type. She bought two and handed the other to Sam. Once she had pocketed the change, she picked up where she left off, “It’s like what I’ve mentioned before about hiding in plain sight. Kelpies can assume human form and when I was ‘auditioning’ yesterday I heard mention of someone called Ruby Rose.”

“The kids Clare and Clyde kept mentioning something about the Rose and you explained that the Rose was the guardian of that seal thing you mentioned. Dean was drawing a similar connection yesterday and I nearly blew him off.”

Angela took a sip of her coffee. It was black all the way. That was fine. At least the wheels were turning. She replied, “I was thinking that this Rose was the guardian. No one would think twice since Rose has been used as a name and if anyone said ‘the Rose’ they would have meant Ruby Rose.”

“But that still leaves use with the question of who has control over the kelpie. I read the lore and having possession of the bridle was a way to tame it and that it would grant you a boon or something,” Sam countered. He took a drink of the coffee that Angela handed to him. He hadn’t wanted it at first but as he started putting pieces of the puzzle together, he found the coffee to be a welcome distraction for the moment.

“Hence the witch idea.”

“Any idea on who the witch might be?”

Angela thought about it. The only person that came to mind was Genevieve and there was hardly proof for that theory except for the fact that she had a spidey sense tingle and she really didn’t like where the questions were going the night before. “I might have some idea but…”

“But what?”

“It could be just nothing but a spiteful broad who is jealous of the fact that there are people who have loving and caring families even if it is a bit on the crazy side,” Angela replied making it sound like a full blown rant. She looked to see Sam looking at her if she was okay or not and she sighed and explained, “Genevieve the club owner. Thing is I’m not sure if it is her or not.”

“Got a spidey sense tingle like Dean?”

“More or less when she stopped me on my way out last night,” Angela replied with a slight shrug of her shoulders. She was unaware that she appeared like a petulant child that knew she was right but everyone else thought she was just vying for attention. It actually looked cute. “I didn’t like her when she introduced herself and I still don’t like her.”

Sam was trying hard not to laugh at her since they were pretty much talking shop but the way she was ranting about this one person was rather funny. He knew that she was serious when asked about the spidey sense. There was no other way to describe it since whenever one of them got it, they were hardly wrong about it. He said, “So say this Genevieve is the witch why and how would she have been able to get the kelpie. Doesn’t it have to be summoned?”

Angela stopped. That was a similar question she had asked the elder. A tribe member or someone from the other tribes would have been able to steal the thing more easily than say someone like a human off the street. A demon was a possibility but the more obvious would be a traitor. “You’re right Sam.”

“So you have an idea since you know the tribe?”

“No I don’t. The ones that we saw are very loyal. It would have to be someone from one of the other tribes.” Angela frowned in puzzlement. “Sam when did Club Albion open?”

“About a couple of months ago,” Sam replied remembering what he had read on the club’s website. “Why?”

“Just thinking,” Angela replied as she tossed the drained cup in a nearby trashcan. “I mentioned missing person’s because I thought it would divert attention away from our case but what if the MO changed and the victims cropping up are a result of that change?”

Angela didn’t give Sam much of a chance to answer as she reached into the Impala and pulled out her computer pad. She logged on to the Internet and began doing a quick search in her databases. She pulled up architectural plans and began sifting through them. The canal she knew was the obvious choice since kelpies needed the water like fish did. She had the feeling that a storm drain or several might connect to the canal… “Yahtzee.”

Sam watched while Angela played with her computer. It was an unspoken rule with researchers that you never interrupted when they were in search mode. Even Dean got that when it was just the two of them before Angela joined them. His patience paid off when she shoved her pad in his face with what appeared to be architectural plans as well as street plans. He took it and looked through it and saw that she had superimposed floor plans with sewage lines. He began to see what she was getting at. “So you think that the club is the hiding place? Angie there are several other places connected to the canal.”

“But only one has an underground access to the waterway,” Angela replied as she brought up the basement and something that looked like a room that was underneath the place. “See this little room here connects directly to the storm drain that flows out into the canal.”

Sam peered at it and saw where she had indicated. So now they knew where to go and what they were up against somewhat. Now they just needed to grab Dean and go kill the witch and rescue the kelpie. “So we grab Dean and head back tonight?”

“Sounds like a plan. We can go through the canal entrance.” Angela opened the passenger door of the Impala. “You drive.”

****

Haley watched as Dean played with Clare and Clyde in some sort of wrestling match. Her first impression was that he was one of those tough guys that had no use for anything full of sentiment. His brother, even though slightly moody, was the more receptive and sensitive outwardly. Watching Dean though, she realized that beneath that layer of toughness that had been built up was a caring individual underneath.

She couldn’t help but chuckle as Clyde jumped from the bed to grab onto Dean’s neck while Clare grabbed him around the waist. Both managed to wrestle him to the ground where he admitted, “Okay you got me.”

Clyde said, “Pay up.” He stood by his sister and they both held out their hands expectantly. They had a deal.

Dean grinned as he fished out one of the two pie slices that he managed to find in the fridge that came with the room. It was one of Angela’s berry pies but he was holding onto the peach. He pulled it out along with two plastic forks he scrounged up from breakfast. “You two share now.”

Clyde took the slice and set it on the table and sliced it. He tried to give the bigger half to his sister but she cut off the excess and handed it back. She looked at him and by silent agreement they started eating their pie.

Dean watched them interact. The way how Clyde looked after his sister was pretty much how he looked after Sam when they were little. There were times that he would give the bigger half of a can of spaghetti-o stuff to Sam. He had always made sure that his brother was taken care of when they were little and he tried to make sure of the same thing when they became adults.

He was reminded of his conversation he had when Sam died and before he made the fateful choice of making the crossroads deal. Things were simple when you were a kid… well except for him and Sam. At least these kids had some semblance of a normal life. When he was being chased and tackled by that William kid and his friends, it was designed for a training purpose but it was a game to them and they had their own time to play and have fun.

“You’re good with kids,” Haley said.

Dean glanced at Haley. When he first met her, he thought her to be a good looking chick. She had dark skin tones like Cassie did but she was different. Aside from the fact that she was one of those good witches that Angela mentioned were out there. Granted it was one of the creepiest things he had ever heard of since all the witches he had encountered previously were bitches. She was different though and he was attracted to that. He hadn’t done any of his usual tricks since she mentioned that her mojo was from her father’s side and that he was an African witch doctor.

That morning though the idea to spend time with her came when he noticed Sam being a bitch more than usual and he suspected it was because of what happened at the club. Man he wished Sam would open his eyes but he wasn’t going to say anything. He was willing to bet that Angela would figure things out before Sam did and he would be around to see it.

It was his idea to send Sam and Angela to the crime scene that had been found on the scanner that morning. Sam bitched about Angela being recognized so Dean said put on a disguise. Boy did she look different after Haley helped her. She looked like a full blown geek version of Sam but with blonde hair and green eyes and the glasses. The suit also helped and the accent she conjured up out of nowhere was perfect. He volunteered to watch the kids and keep Haley safe since she admitted that whatever trouble her friend Rose was in was probably after her.

He watched the kids before replying, “I do the same for my brother.”

Haley had noticed the brotherly affection. She had been surprised at the name calling and insults but the manner in which Angela responded to it suggested that it was a normal thing for them. She could also tell that there was something that was putting a strain on the relationship. It wasn’t her business to pry but experience had taught her that an outside opinion could often put perspective onto things. She replied, “But you seem to know what they need without trying much.”

Dean gave a smirk, “I could say that I’m a natural but truth is I practically raised my brother. My dad was away quite a bit. So it was just the two of us.” He was surprised that he was revealing that much. Usually it was the other way around.

Haley gave a slight smile. “At least you had a brother. I was an only child. I didn’t quite fit in.”

“You and me both,” Dean replied. “So why did you come to this place and when you found out strange things were going on, why didn’t you do something about it?”

Haley shrugged her shoulders and explained, “As I said, I didn’t quite fit in. My parents came from two different worlds so I learned a bit of both. I guess I wanted to see what normal people did and I left. As to not doing something, my witch mojo is nothing like my father’s. I would have been dead meat.”

“Makes sense. I read what Sam dug up on kelpies and from the looks of things, it’s a nasty thing.”

“I know.” Haley sat watching the kids with her hands in her lap. She wished she had something to do for the sake of it. She was feeling a little shy being in front of Dean.

Dean himself was searching for something to say. Usually he had some cheesy pick up line to use and some of his usual repertoire of witty talk on hand. Now he found that he didn’t have anything. It was like he got the feeling that his usual tricks wouldn’t work on this girl. He watched as the kids finished their pie and began playing one of their games that he had noticed them playing when they were at the village the other day.

“Their play is just like how my father’s village taught their children. Most of it was designed so that children learned how to fight evil. My father said the imagination was a powerful thing and I would often imagine that my enemy was hell. Because of that, I tried harder than anyone in my training.”

“Why would you imagine what hell would look like?” Dean was curious about this.

Haley shrugged her shoulders. “I guess because I thought then and still do that despite all the things out there that can kill people, there is no place worse than hell. I don’t know what it’s actually like and I hope I don’t have to.” She made a slight twist of her lips. She didn’t know why she mentioned it. It was something brought on by watching the kids play. “I don’t know if I would ever make the choice to go to that place… maybe if it was for someone I cared about. I don’t even know why I brought it up.” Haley stood up to get a glass of water.

Dean watched as she went to the bathroom to get some water. It was a rather strange conversation to be having. He wouldn’t have had this conversation with Sam. He was well aware that within a year his number would be up and the hell mutts would be after him. He found it strange that this girl used to imagine what hell would be like. What he found struck home was that she was willing to go if it was for someone that meant something to her. Angela would have said something similar and would have pointed out that he was doing it for Sam, his brother.

“You should tell her,” Clare said. She had quietly walked up to Dean while he was thinking and stood there staring at him.

Dean looked down at her. “Tell her what?”

Clare shrugged her shoulders indicating that he should know what she was talking about. She then said, “Tell her how you feel. I think she likes you.”

Dean was surprised at how perceptive the little girl was. Angela had warned him before they left that they had big ears for small children which was far worse than her hearing. She had given a naughty look when she had said it. Now he understood what she had meant. He replied, “You and your brother really don’t know the meaning of the word eavesdropper don’t you?” He was smiling when he said it.

Clare smiled back. She replied, “We don’t need to eavesdrop.” Her smile was a naughty one.

Dean chuckled as he ruffled her hair. “Okay kid. Go play with your brother and try not to listen.” He pointed to where Clyde was playing with a pencil and several sheets of paper.

Clare smiled and turned to go back to playing with her brother. Meanwhile Dean got up and walked to where Haley was playing with her glass of water. He noticed that it was swirling within the glass and she was staring at it. It seemed that she had a good amount of mojo. He said, “Nice work.”

Haley didn’t look directly at Dean but she smiled and said, “A parlor trick but the most basic in controlling powers. I thought that I had forgotten.” She stopped swirling the water and set it down. “I’m guessing that changes your whole perspective on witches.”

Dean shrugged his shoulders, “Well most of the witches Sam and I have run into have tried to hex us or worse so I really don’t have a too much of a love for them but I could say the same for vamps but then I met Angie and you.”

“So I shouldn’t expect you banging down my door?” Haley couldn’t help but tease. She could tell that Dean was a good person.

“Nope.”

At that moment there was a loud bang as the door flew open. Dean ran to protect the kids while snatching out the Colt he never parted with during his waking hours. The kids dove behind him with their eyes wide with fear. Clare murmured, “The raven is here.”

Haley heard the girl’s words. It couldn’t be. How did they…? She couldn’t let anything happen to the kids or Dean. She was rusty but she could use her power. She charged out just to see the kids hide behind the bed and Dean being grabbed in a chokehold. His gun was on the ground and he was fighting back. She recognized the raven when she spotted the tattoo on the arm. She muttered some words in her father’s language and he flew back into the walls. She said, “You will not harm them.”


	14. Chapter 14

Angela could tell something was wrong the moment the Impala pulled up. She pulled out her gun and made her way slowly to the door. She motioned to Sam to follow as she sniffed the area. There was something definitely wrong. The door was closed and she could have knocked but they had a key. She motioned to Sam for his key.

Sam watched as Angela tensed up the moment he parked the car. He scoured the area to find what she might have spotted but he found nothing. He trusted that she wasn’t fooling around. She wouldn’t do anything like that; not in this job.

He followed her to the door of the room that Dean and the kids and that Haley girl decided to camp out in, which turned out to be his and Dean’s room. He couldn’t detect anything unusual but he followed Angela’s lead. When she motioned for his set of keys, he handed them over without a word and moved to cover with his own gun.

It was just their luck that no one was being nosy. That was one of the criteria they looked for when picking a place. People minded their own business. If anyone had shown up they could just flash their badges.

Angela quietly turned the key in the lock and pushed the door open. She went first pointing her gun and scoured the place while Sam followed. She tried to ignore the damage done to the room as she checked for any sign of an intruder or Dean or Haley or the kids. She bit her lip as she checked the bathroom and realized that something very wrong happened in this room. She walked out of the bathroom to see the look on Sam’s face as he called his brother’s name, “Dean?”

Angela looked around at the damage. It wouldn’t have been demons and the like since Dean would have laid salt lines. Besides she couldn’t smell demon in the room. She gave a slight shake of her head to indicate to Sam that it wasn’t demons. The damage had been done by humans and probably the witch bitch. Out of habit, she fixed the chair and instantly was thrust back much like when she went to the old monkey’s cabin in Tennessee.

What surprised her was that Haley had sent that very chair flying as some big burly guy with beady black eyes. She recognized him from the club and thought he was a bouncer or something when she first walked in. He was stunned by the attack but he recovered quickly, “So you still remember the old ways.”

Haley’s response was an African dialect but Angela recognized one word. Raven. She watched at the guy retaliated and Haley countered putting herself between Dean and the guy. She watched as the guy summoned back up and the kids were grabbed, distracting Haley allowing the guy to knock her out. Dean behaved in his typical fashion and earned a fist in the mouth knocking him out.

“I knew there were more.”

Angela snapped out of her vision to see that same guy and flanked by two others. She replied as Sam moved back pointing his gun at them, “Where are they?”

“Where are who?”

Angela narrowed her eyes. It would be no use to try and argue with the guy. “You know who I am talking about… Raven.”

Raven gave a slight sigh and a smirk, “So you know my name. It doesn’t matter since someone wants a word with you. You can come quietly or noisily. Either way works for me. The latter just means more work.”

Sam swallowed to contain his anger. “Where is Dean?” He cocked his gun.

Raven looked at the boy. He had been given an order regarding this one. He gave a sly smile and said, “You won’t need that.” He gave a flick of his wrist.

Sam felt his gun leave his hands a huge fist coming at him. He ducked and came up with a punch of his own. Hitting the guy was like giving one of Angela’s love taps to the Impala. He grunted at the pain in his hand.

Angela took the opportunity to charge at the two smaller guys. She did a flip forward to distract their attention and stood right up to give two back fists to their faces. She whipped around to block a punch and countered with one of her own. They wanted hand to hand and she ventured to guess that Raven guy had some mojo about him which was why he whipped away Sam’s gun from him. She had dropped hers and took charge.

The two smaller guys recovered quickly and they pulled out identical nightsticks. Angela felt the playful grin form on her face. She gave a short laugh as they came at her swinging their little toothpicks which she blocked with her forearms. The second block she grabbed the stick and wrenched it out of the douche’s hands and twirled it with expert ease. She gave the guy a kick and threw the stick at the Raven guy where it struck him on the back of the head allowing Sam time to recover and deliver his own set of punches.

Normally Angela would have given her little war cry but she gave more of a laugh. It was surprising and disturbing that she had been itching for a good fight. She took out what had been bothering her on the two guys and they were down for the count. She turned just in time to see that Raven guy send Sam into a wall making the already messy room into a room of chaos. She jumped to land in front of the guy and was hunched in an attack position.

Raven laughed at her. “I was expecting someone different. Blonde is so clichéd.”

Angela realized she was still wearing her disguise. The wig held up better than she thought and of course the contacts wouldn’t come out unless she took them out. She ignored it however and replied, “Well what are you going to do about that?”

Raven laughed. “You are funny. Wrong hair and eye color but I was told that you were a funny little thing.”

“Glad you like it. Now tell me where are they.”

“You’ll have to fight me for it. The last one proved to be easy.” To prove his point he sent a nearby chair flying.

Angela dove out of the way and rolled to a standing position. The room was too small for all of that. She had little choice though and countered when something came at her way. She stopped it just by looking at it and sent it back. Raven nodded, “Impressive.”

Angela stood there. She was not in the mood for games. She didn’t need this douche to tell her where they were.  It did help though since it reduced the possibility of a mistake. She walked over and helped Sam to stand up giving a glance.

Sam nodded that he was okay. It was the truth since he and Dean had been tossed around plenty of times by vengeful spirits and demons and witches. It was one of those perks of the job that was pretty painful but you got over it quick. At least he had back up and she seemed to have fun dealing it back at the moment. He stood up from where he fell and looked at the guy and then at Angela. She seemed to be deep in thought. “Any ideas?”

Angela didn’t divert her gaze from the douche and his minions who were beginning to get up. Now that she had time to observe, she recognized them from her little dream walk experience with the kelpie. So they were going to continue until their mission was completed. This time she was on her own with Sam and she didn’t have Morpheus to divert their attention. She replied, “Keep fighting and go down swinging or surrender.”

Sam gave her a look. Angela was never one to surrender. That was unless she had an idea brewing. “You have something in mind?”

“They’ll keep at this until they get what they want,” Angela muttered. “Might lead us to where…” She gave a slight implication with her shoulder and a nod.

Sam gave a slight nod. He understood that she was saying they couldn’t win this fight but they could find Dean and the kids. “Do what you think is best. I trust you.”

That was more than Angela thought she deserved. Her thoughts were interrupted by Raven saying, “That is rather cute, that little motion thing you do. Such trust between partners…”

“We’ll surrender since it is obvious you want one or both of us,” Angela interrupted before the sentence could be finished. She lowered her ands to indicate that she wasn’t going to resist. She looked at Sam who did the same.

Raven looked at her suspiciously. He had been told that she was the kind to resort to deception when necessary. This one though defied what he had been told about her. How the master knew that she was here was something he wasn’t about to question but he was willing to question her change of mind. “You offer yourself freely?”

Angela narrowed her eyes but didn’t move. She said, “It is a good offer.” Inwardly she cringed at the use of her words and those of the douche. Anything related to dealing had her cringing these days and she couldn’t forget the look that Sam gave her.  She took a breath and added, “I know what you are and that you won’t stop until you have what you came for. I was lucky the last time.”

Raven nodded. “I remember. You enjoyed that fight then as you did now. That was something I didn’t expect.” He gave a slight smile, “Very well. I see you aren’t up to any tricks now.” He motioned for his men to take a hold of the both of them. “At least you aren’t going to prove to be a challenge like that annoying little witch and that troublesome hunter.”

Sam couldn’t help it, “You hurt my brother and I’ll rip your heart out.”

“Feel free to try… provided you don’t have a headache afterwards.”

Angela and Sam frowned slightly before something hard hit them across the back of the head. Angela gave a slight growl before she collapsed. The last thing she heard was the sound of the three douches laughing their heads off about how too easy this job was.

****

“Sonofabitch.”

Dean gripped the bars of the contraption he had been thrown into. It was like being in prison again and it pissed him off. He shook the bars as if that would release him. Just like him and Sam to get into trouble with the fugly. Not only that Haley and the kids were in trouble with him.

It was three of them that came busting in. What they wanted he had no clue but he wasn’t going to let them get the kids. He didn’t know why he thought they were after the kids but it wouldn’t surprise him if those kids were special. Well they came busting in and he did what he had to do. The kids weren’t Sam but he was going to protect them as if they were his baby brother.

He was used to being knocked around by just about anything and had more than his fair share of concussions and head trauma though the last time it was cleared up by Angela and that healing mojo. What he didn’t expect was for Haley to show up with her witch mojo out in full force like she did. He was startled by it but he didn’t get in her way.

Of course he didn’t take kindly to Haley being knocked about and he reacted. He was distracted when the kids were grabbed like a sack of potatoes and Clyde called out to him after shouting at them to leave his sister alone. He went towards them only to be knocked out by another guy. What happened to Haley he didn’t know until he woke up in this cage. Right now she was leaning against the bars of the cage.

The cage was suspended above a large pool of water. Dean peered down at the floor of the cage. Tracing the edge he found something that appeared to be a latch. So the floor was like a trap door or sorts. Dean tugged on the latch to see if it would move but it didn’t budge. He looked down at the water below and he didn’t like the implication of it. At least his hands and ankles weren’t shackled which was little relief.

“Help us Dean.”

Dean looked up from his studying to find the kids being held in a similar cage that he and Haley were in. Clare was holding her hand out towards him and giving that look Sam was so good at giving at. It broke his heart that he was powerless to do anything at the moment. He had to keep them calm though and he replied, “It’s okay Clare.” He saw tears start to form. “Don’t cry now.”

“That’s right Clare,” Haley’s voice sounded from where she was sitting. “Don’t cry. You need to be brave like your brother.”

“Yeah. Angie and Sam are coming,” Dean added glad for a block to stand on. “Angie is pretty good at getting out of scrapes.”

That seemed to settle the kids down a bit. They nodded and went to sit down on the floor of their cage. They startled babbling to each other in their own language. They were still scared but Dean could see that they were calm enough and even though he had just met them, they had trust in him.

“Will they come? Your brother and your friend?”

Dean turned to sit on the floor and face Haley. He knew they would come. He would do the same for Sam and Angela… well she made it clear that she would stand by him. He replied, “Sam’s my brother. He would do anything for me just as I would for him. And Angie… she’s a good friend. She does more than what friends I’ve had done before.”

“Like family,” Haley replied.

Dean thought about it for a moment. He wasn’t sure if he would put it quite like that yet. She was the kind of friend that was there through thick and thin. “Maybe.” Dean wanted to change the subject since it was something that he needed more time to think about. “Haley that douche that came in… you know him?”

Haley sighed as she leaned against the bars. She wondered how Dean would feel about her knowing that she brought him trouble to the case he was working on. Still she was shrewd enough to guess that his friend Angela was a sensitive subject though she suspected that Sam was the more sensitive of the two. She could understand the need to change the subject since he needed time to think about it. She might as well explain a few things. It might help pass the time until whoever it was that caught them came for them.

A noise sounded and both Dean and Haley looked in the direction of it. Nothing happened so Haley started, “Yeah I know him. I always knew that sooner or later they would catch up with me.”

“Who?”

“Raven and his band of cutthroats,” Haley replied looking at Dean. She saw the puzzled look start to form on his face so she explained, “It was all part of a jealous feud that started a long time ago. My best friend blamed me for taking away her birthright. She started dabbling with the darker arts and recruited the Raven and his flock. It was part of the reason why I left home.”

“That’s a shitty thing for your friend to do.”

Haley gave a wry smile, “Everyone else thought so too but I understood her reason for it. It has to do with my tribe’s way of protecting our portion of the seal.”

“So what you mentioned about giving up magic…”

“It was a necessity. I needed to hide and that meant cutting off what I am.” Haley studied the look on Dean’s face. She wasn’t sure about what he was thinking about. “Let me ask you something Dean: how far would you go to protect something that meant the world to you? In this case it means something that is equivalent of a stitch holding back a gaping wound. I did what I had to do.”

Dean sat back and watched Haley as she sat back and folded her arms. He got where she was coming from. He found himself saying much to his horror and surprise, “I made a deal.”

“Crossroad deal?”

Dean nodded in agreement. “My life for Sam’s.”

Haley saw that Dean wasn’t looking at her in the eye. There were plenty of others who judged because of an action but not the reason. She gave a kick with her foot at his feet. “Hey there’s nothing wrong with that. My father’s people say that the ultimate show of sacrifice is that what you do for your family. Makes me wish I had that courage.”

Dean looked up and saw Haley look at him. He frowned at her choice of words. “Are you kidding me? You wish you had the courage to make a deal with a demon? There is nothing courageous about that. I made the deal because I couldn’t go on without my brother whom I was supposed to protect and look after.”

“What better reason? You did it for your brother,” Haley replied shrugging her shoulders. “Running away in the name of duty… seems small in comparison.”

“Even if I’m not supposed to be here?” Dean looked at Haley. When he saw the puzzled look on her face, he explained, “I was supposed to die but my dad did the same thing I did and brought me back just as I brought Sam back.”

Haley stared at Dean with an intent expression. She wasn’t one to judge for that. If it was an act of desperation for a greater good… who was she to judge? She voiced it, “Who am I to judge? You did what you had to for the sake of family. My decision was based on duty.”

“It was with a demon.”

“And what about your friend? You work with her but she’s not human. I’m half witch but I might as well be all witch. Really who is to judge?” Haley watched as Dean observed her with a look. Poor guy was so used to having people say he was an idiot for even making a deal.

Suddenly Dean gave a chuckle. He replied, “You know Angie said something similar. She doesn’t like making deals but she helped me make mine. I didn’t want her to but she did.”

“She must have had her reasons,” Haley replied. “Maybe she thought you needed a friend when you made the deal. She didn’t judge.”

Dean nodded and rested the back of his head against the bar of the cage. Haley was right. Angela didn’t judge and hell she took abuse like it was nothing. Even when she was being difficult when they were making a stand against those hunter douches she didn’t judge. She brushed it off with her age. He gave a smile, “You know, you and Angie think alike in many things. I thought it was because Angie is as old as she is.”

Haley smiled. “Your friend is more stoic than I am and a lot older. One of the perks of being half a Celt is that I age like a regular human.” She gave a saucy grin towards Dean and noticed the blush that overcame his face. His freckles stood out a little. She said, “You’re cute when you blush.”

Dean turned his face into a scowl even though the blush was still showing. The scowl disappeared as it turned into a slight smile. “Don’t compare me to my pansy pain in the ass little brother.” He sat up and looked around to get a better look at their surroundings. “Well judging from this place we’re in a basement of some sorts.”

“Clever deduction, hunter.”

Dean and Haley turned to look at the newcomer. It was Haley who said, “I didn’t want to believe it but you changed your look Genevieve.”

Dean looked at the woman. He remembered seeing her the night before. “So you’re the witch bitch we’re looking for? A shame.”

Genevieve looked at the pair suspended in her cage. She had just gotten word from her loyal servants and they were on their way back. She knew it was too much of a coincidence that her newest girl just happened to arrive out of the blue looking for a job. Yet she had her real prize sitting in front of her. She smiled and replied, “I see I’m not the only one who knows how to change their appearance Haley. And to think you were right under my nose all this time.”

“I have to admit that you’re good too Genevieve. Amazing what a change of hair color could do for a person,” Haley replied as she stood up to look down at Genevieve.

“But you can’t change your skin color old friend. I think you played around a bit,” Genevieve replied with a slight sing song tone to her voice.

“You know as well as I that there are certain things that can be used as a means to hide from the very thing that hunts,” Haley replied. She narrowed her eyes, not willing to bring this up again but Genevieve’s jealousy over what happened when they became adults. Yet the jealousy turned into hatred and it seemed there was no forgetting it. “I didn’t want to bring attention to myself Gen.”

“You don’t have the right to call me that anymore,” Genevieve retorted.

“Please,” Dean replied standing up to be next to Haley. “If anything Haley should be pissed at you. What kind of friend sends a bunch of douches after them?”

Genevieve turned her gaze towards Dean. Her eyes narrowed dangerous into thin slits. She watched with pleasure as the hunter was flung against the back of the cage and suspended. To see him start to choke was a pleasure. She said to him, “Don’t you even think you have a right to say anything about this little situation.”

“Gen stop. Let him go.”

Genevieve looked at Haley who was glaring at her. She grinned in pleasure, “What is he to you?”

Haley glared at Genevieve. She couldn’t counter the girl’s spell since Genevieve was always the stronger of the two when it came to magic. Yet she had to try and convince her old friend to stop what she was doing. She saw Dean struggle against the hold. She could tell that he was no stranger to that kind of hold but she couldn’t bear to have him die. She said, “Gen you and I both know that I have what you want and you have what rightfully belongs to the Water Horse tribe. You have both. Let him go.”

Genevieve was amused at the appeal that Haley gave. The girl was always a bleeding heart, especially to outsiders. This one was no exception and it looked like Haley had more than a soft spot for him. Still she was willing to admit that Haley’s compassion was good for something. “Alright.”

Dean felt himself drop to the bottom of the cage. He coughed as the air came back to his lungs full force.  He glared at the witch bitch and would have liked to curse but his attention was directed to the sound of a door opening.

Haley was relieved that Genevieve let Dean go. Now they had to figure out how to get out of this mess. He attention was distracted by the door opening and the sound of feet coming down the stairs. Genevieve smiled and said, “Ah just in time for the fun to begin.”

Dean slowly stood up to see who the newcomers were. He glanced at the kids who were watching and he knew that they had been scared at what happened. He then looked back to see a bunch of guys in black, one of them he recognized that Sam wanted to punch the living daylights out of. The other he recognized as the one Haley called the Raven and they were carrying in two limp forms which he recognized immediately.

“Sonofabitch!”


	15. Chapter 15

Sam didn’t appreciate being knocked out especially after he voluntarily surrendered. He opened his eyes to find that he was on the wet ground and he was in shackles. He looked over and saw what looked like the remains of a human but it looked like it had been torn to shreds and that was when he heard rattling. Looking up he saw the kids suspended in one cage and Dean and that Haley girl in another. Dean was furiously trying to get free with little success.

“Just what I like, getting wet before dawn,” Angela’s sarcastic comment cut through the dimmed lighting.

Sam peered and managed to make her out in a similar condition he was in but she was much closer to the water’s edge. She was still wearing her wig which she promptly took off and said, “No more being a pretty nerdy blonde.”

She started looked at her surroundings and toying with the shackled she had been placed in. Even Sam was smart enough to know that they were in a dilemma. Dad had taught him and Dean how to pick locks and slip cuffs but shackles and iron ones to boot were hard. He looked at his wrists and stood up to get a sense of the length he had been given.

“You okay Sam?”

Sam looked up to see Dean looking at him. “I’m fine Dean. Just…”

“Yeah I know. The witch bitch has us like caged birds.”

“More like Clash of the Titans,” Sam replied. He raised his arms to indicate his position.

“Neither of which is helpful at the moment,” Angela replied. As it was, she was up to her calves in the water. She tugged at her bonds to find that they were secured to the floor but that didn’t mean that she couldn’t try her usual methods of getting free.

“Thinking of pulling that thing free, Angie?”

“I’m not Superman,” Angela retorted as she gave a slight tug with her right hand grabbing the chain of that arm’s shackle. She bent over to look at its mounting in the floor.

“Superman’s gay,” Dean muttered in a retort. “So you got your ass handed to you?”

“Actually they surrendered which was smart of them since they knew that my servants wouldn’t give up and there would have been a high probability of an accident occurring,” Genevieve said as she walked down the stairs. She had changed to the crude casual dress of jeans and a shirt but she didn’t want her good things to get messy. She watched as her newest girl was peering at her bonds. “Don’t even bother sweetheart. I seriously doubt even you would have the strength to pull those out.”

Angela looked up from what she was doing to look at Genevieve. So she was right in that the bitch was the witch they were after. She replied, “As I said before, I’m not Superman but I know someone who is capable of doing the same thing.”

Genevieve laughed, “Ah yes, you mean the beloved Rose. Sadly you have no power over it.”

Angela looked at Genevieve. It was then that she spotted the one thing that could tame the kelpie and lucky for her she knew what would happen if she had it and gave it back to the kelpie. She was going to say something when to her dismay little Clare blurted out, “You give back the Rose!”

Genevieve looked up at the cage the children were it. It was a bonus that the children fell into her lap. She would have better leverage over the beast even with the bridle. She said to them, “Shut up little brats or you’ll find yourselves in a worse fate than your friends.”

“Leave them out of this,” Sam replied. “They didn’t do anything to you.”

Genevieve, her attention away from the brats for the moment, looked at Sam. She walked up towards him and stood in front of him. “Sam Winchester. Don’t look so surprised that I know you and your brother Dean up there. You’re pretty much front page news… well your brother is for killing all those people and the bank job… You should probably thank me that I haven’t called the feds in here.”

“Maybe I will after I gank your ass,” Sam replied.

Genevieve made a fake pout. “Ooh so tough and intimidating. Did you learn that from your brother?”

“Bite me, bitch,” Dean called from his perch.

The result was Dean crashing into the bars. At least he wasn’t being choked this time. Genevieve said, “I wasn’t talking to you and you’re not merely as fun as your brother. He has quite a temper on him.”

“You have no idea,” Sam replied.

“Oh I think I do,” Genevieve replied. She continued to look at Sam and snapped her fingers. “You see not much goes on without my notice in my place. It took me a while but I figured out a few things especially about my girl who in effect betrayed me.”

Entered in the Raven followed by one of his men who walked right up to Angela but stayed well out of reach of her limbs; the ones that had the potential to do damage. Sam recognized him at once and his eyes widened in the recognition. He looked at the witch and asked, “You set that up?”

“It’s a little hobby of mine. What luring and seduction by my Rose can’t do, the righteous indignation and jealousy does the job and I have what I want.” Genevieve replied with a sardonic grin. “You see Sam I don’t know what your little stunt was the cause of but it did shine the light on the cute little blonde over there.”

Genevieve deliberately mocked the disguise that Angela had worn simply for the sake of revealing that she had ways and means of finding out what she wanted. “The reaction was quite interesting. You really know how to use your body to your advantage sweetheart…”

“Shut up,” Angela retorted. She had inched away from the lecher that she too had recognized. He may have been following orders but she had been around enough to recognize the lustful look that lecherous men have shot her way and occasionally a woman.

“Calm and cool deliberateness while singing a love song  and that kiss afterwards. Makes me wonder if it all wasn’t for show,” Genevieve continued.

“What can I say, I can be a good actress when I want to be,” Angela retorted. She was so tempted to give a kick to the lecher. He had taken a step closer. He was still too far away and if she lunged, he could move away and let herself break her wrists on the damn things. So she stood her ground. “So you like to stir up betrayal. Is that why you want the piece of the seal so badly?”

Genevieve stayed near Sam but looked at Angela when she heard the question. She laughed out loud. “You think that I stole my Rose from that pathetic tribe hiding in the fields? Why should I bother when it is heavily protected and I already have the piece that it rightfully mine. The Rose is just a means of taking care of some unfinished business.”

“So killing poor saps is taking care of unfinished business?” Sam looked at Genevieve.

“A means to an end, Sammy.” Genevieve grinned as she watched Sam gritted his teeth at the name he hated other people using. “You see I couldn’t find what needed to be taken care of. It was too well hidden from me and the ironic thing was that it was in plain sight. It had to take the Raven to find it and bring it back to me.”

“That and you knew they wouldn’t give up in their pursuit,” Dean said. He had recovered from his second toss in the cage. Haley had tried to convince him to not piss the witch off but hell the bitch was pissing **him** off and he figured out that she was not going to just jump the gun for Haley. The botch had something else in mind.

“I am tempted to get rid of you right now since you have a bad habit of speaking when you aren’t being spoken to,” Genevieve replied in coy annoyance. “However I would hate to have Sammy here become a raging bull if I were to do anything to you but I suspect he wouldn’t care as much if I were to take care of the betrayer here.”

That remark was enough to have everyone wonder who the hell she was talking about. It was Dean who figured it out when he drew the connection between Sam and Angela’s location on the ground and the nasty remains of the poor sod near Sam. He became angry and said, “Bitch, she didn’t betray you.”

“So the supposed dumber big brother figured it out before the college grad here,” Genevieve replied.

“Shut up,” Angela said. “I get it. You have it in your sick twisted head that I betrayed you because I lied to get in. Never mind the fact that I am on the job to return something that you stole and to help stop a spree of killings done by said stolen item.” Angela stared defiantly at Genevieve before saying to the lecher, “If you try something lecher you will find more than pain in the nether regions.”

Genevieve gave a hard pat to Sam’s head before heading to the top of the stairs to look down at Angela. She replied, “I see you are no stranger to betrayal.”

“Unlike you, I actually know the meaning of the word.”

Genevieve chuckled. “I see then that this will be a pleasant experience for you.” She walked away from the steps and motioned for her man to leave. As soon as they were clear Genevieve turned to face where the water was. She looked at Sam and said, “Don’t worry about it. The Rose does things quickly. It will be quite painless for your brother who will soon join her.” She then looked at the water and said something in Gaelic.

Angela stood facing the water as it started to churn. She glanced up at the kids who were watching with fright on their faces and at Dean and Haley. Dean was trying to work his way free and Haley was wracking her brains for a spell or something to help. They weren’t going to help her this time. She took deep breaths as the churning became fiercer.

****

The bitch had them. She had them and was using them as leverage to get her to cooperate. It pissed her off but there was little she could do. As long as the key was in the bitch’s possession, she was powerless and she hated that fact. She had done what she could to help them and now it seemed as if it were for nothing.

Then there was that being. He was a street musician but he knew a thing or two about everything. He wasn’t even afraid to die! Rather he called it fun. The bitch wanted him gone since he was a threat to the game she wanted to play with the two boys even though the scene he caused only made the bitch seem a little happier.

Well she got one up on that one. Now she just had to figure out a way to get through without the bitch knowing. She had to think fast. She could hear the ancient words. She sent her request to the treasure she wanted to see again and prayed that they heard it. She knew they did. They were that perceptive.

The chant had been called. She had to obey. As long as the bitch had her leash, she couldn’t disobey outright. Still she had been defiant in other things. She was sending out calls for help and trying to get Absolution into position. She grumbled as she jumped into her pool and swam the lengths to the arena.

The bitch had a fascination with the old seaside sacrifices. She saw it as a rip off of that human movie Clash of the Titans but she wasn’t going to argue. She swam taking her time though it was still fast by comparison to other water creatures and the bitch loved a good show when she arrived to do her bidding. It had been that way ever since she had been tricked into having her leash caught and she hated it. She wanted to be free but she also had to make sure that the treasure was protected. That was the most important thing.

She was almost there now. She could make out the shape of her intended victim but it wasn’t moving. There was no fear. She couldn’t help but admire that. She then came out of the water and reared her head at the victim who was staring up at her. She was not afraid.

****

Dean thought the picture that Ryan kids drew was a fairly accurate depiction of the kelpie. To see it in real life was something else and it was big. He could make out the Celtic knot on the left leg near the shoulder. At least it wasn’t on its rear like that pansy My Little Pony crap. If it hadn’t been a thing that could kill people he would have been tempted to touch it and figured it wouldn’t be too bad to get to know one. However it was heading right towards Angela and she was just standing there looking at it.

Dean had been in scary shit before with her and never had he once seen her freeze or just stand there. Freezing could get you killed. That was what Dad always said. Then again this was Angela. She was probably being resigned to her death or she had a plan and was just waiting for the right moment. He glanced over at the witch bitch who was looking disappointed that Angela wasn’t reacting to the kelpie. Well that bitch was in for a surprise.

Sam was trying to pull himself free. _Dammit Sam. Pay attention to what she’s doing._ For once Dean was being the patient one. This case really toyed with Sam’s emotions and as far as Dean could tell it was just Sam being the nice guy and standing up for her.

“Jealousy was always Gen’s motive,” Haley muttered.

“I can see that,” Dean replied sarcastically as he tried to get the trap door on the bottom of the cage undone. “Look the only way we can get out of this is to get the kelpie thing’s bridle.”

Haley nearly snickered at Dean’s attempt at the creature’s name. She replied, “That would be the thing but we need to find it and right now we are in a bit of a bind… literally.”

“No shit,” Dean grunted as he tried kicking the bottom to jar it loose.

“What we need is time.”

“Time we don’t have unless Angie pulls something out of her bag of tricks,” Dean countered as he continued to pound the floor. He looked over at the kids who were watching the kelpie with a look. He then looked down at Angela who was staring at the thing with that determined look she got just when she was about to strike.

Angela, having seen the kelpie before, wasn’t afraid of the water and the blustering. It was a showman thing and she suspected it was to amuse the witch bitch. Well she wasn’t going to get scared and she had a plan… well an idea. It just had to work with good timing. She stood there at the thing reared and whinnied at her as well as snorted. It pounded its hooves and snorted in her face.

_Sing the song._

Angela didn’t flinch when she heard the voice in her head. After Azazel’s playground, if she happened to come across someone who could do that, she tapped in but ever asking politely to do so. It was a surprise to hear the voice in the form of a child’s voice. Also it was not just one but two and they spoke in unison. Things were becoming clear to her now and she hoped that what she was about to do wouldn’t bite her in the ass.

The kelpie made its move though and reared up to stomp on her. Angela let the hooves come down and at the last minute she jerked out of the way and made her right chain taunt. The thing snapped like string under the weight of the hooves and knocked her over. She felt a dull throb from the metal cuff when it yanks on her arm. She had one arm free and more movement.

_Sing the song, Absolution._

_Alright, alright_ , Angela thought to herself as well as thinking that for cute little kids they were a bunch of nags. Well it worked before and she wasn’t even trying then. If it worked, she might be able to distract Genevieve enough to try what she had been practicing for.

She whirled around to put some distance between her and the kelpie. She was back enough that her left hand was raised and making the chain taut. She raised her right in a calming manner while focusing on the kelpie. _Here goes nothing._

Knowing that the translated version would probably not work, Angela adjusted her voice to accommodate the sounds that were a part of Gaelic. It started a little weak at first but there was some reaction to the kelpie and it encouraged her to continue in a stronger and louder voice. She sang the Rose of Tralee in Gaelic much to the annoyance of Genevieve.

“Fool you think singing that stupid song will get you out of this?”

Angela was ignoring the jibe as she continued the song. She had to move as the kelpie circled her. She still maintained her distance by pulling against the bond on her left arm. The kelpie snorted at her as she sang but didn’t attack. That was the perk to the song for the guardian. It couldn’t attack a person who knew the song in its entirety. To make sure that it wouldn’t attack the others, she had to get what Genevieve had.

****

Clare and Clyde watched the scene below them. They watched as Absolution allowed the Rose to break one of the chains holding her. When she was free, they told her in a way so the mean witch wouldn’t hear them to sing the song.

The Rose had told them to tell Absolution to sing the song. They knew what the Rose meant by that and they waited for the chance. Clare held her brother’s hand as they watched the Rose circle Absolution. They knew the Rose didn’t want to hurt Absolution but the mean witch lady had something that would make her do bad things.

Clyde wanted to be down there to help. He knew he and sister could do things too but from the looks of things, Absolution had a plan going. Maybe they could help in another way. While his sister was watching, he looked around trying to find a way to free Dean and Haley and maybe Sam.

He had noticed Dean pounding away at the floor of his cage and figured that the bottom could be opened. That would be fine. He and Clare knew how to swim really good. The trick was just finding what could activate it. He found something that looked like a control lever but he wasn’t sure of it. He did see a familiar sight.

With care he tapped his sister and muttered in their sibling code about his plan. She was better at it so she could do it. He encouraged her to get the thing and get it to Sam. Meanwhile he would have to find something to get Sam’s attention. He was too far away to throw something like his sister but maybe a pebble or something and he did have a mean throwing arm.

He found what he wanted. It was a small wing nut that had been left behind on the ledge near their cage. Making sure no one was looking, he snaked his hand out and grabbed it. Taking aim, he flicked it until it hit Sam square in the chest. When Sam looked to find out the direction it came in, Clare came through and flashed him the keys and dropped them near his feet. Clyde watched as Sam covered them with his foot and waited for the chance to grab them.

Suddenly a noise sounded and a very large black bird crashed against the cage. It stuck its nasty claw in trying to get at them. Clyde pushed his sister behind him and backed away from the thing. He muttered something in Gaelic at the creature just as Clare grabbed his hand. At that instant the black bird shot away and it hit the wall opposite the cage.

Clare peered out around her brother’s shoulder. Then she glanced at her brother. His eyes were glowing and that meant hers were too. She looked back at the bird that came right back at them and started attacked the mechanism where the cage was being suspended. Now that the thing was aware of everything, they couldn’t do that trick again. They weren’t strong enough to do it again. They could just wait until Absolution got free.

A squawk had both Clare and Clyde look over to where Dean was throwing wing nuts that he had found. He was cussing at it and calling it names and saying that the bird was a douche for picking on kids. Clyde found some more wing nuts and started throwing them at the bird that was getting agitated and it swooped around crashing into the cages. It was enough to start tearing the mechanisms apart.

****

Sam was surprised Clyde had a long reach once he figured out that it was the kids working the mojo to get him the keys. The thing was he was still too close to the witch to bend down and grab them and plus she had those two body guards of hers whatever they were.

Her attention was distracted though by something. He realized it was the kids looking around and she said something to the big guy the Raven or whatever his name was. He watched as the guy shifted into a huge raven and charged at the cage with the kids in it.

Angela was too busy with the kelpie to do any help and he couldn’t do anything. That was when he saw the bird fly away like he or Dean would have if the witch decided they were human balls to be tossed around. The thing came back but Dean got its attention by throwing something at it and cussing at it in typical Dean fashion. The witch was too busy paying attention and laughing at the fact the huge raven was wrecking the mechanism of the cages and they were hanging over water.

Sam took a change and grabbed the keys. It was difficult to unlock one of them since they held him in place. He strained and could feel the cuff cutting into his arm as he struggled to get the key into the lock. How he managed to get it in, he could own it up to adrenaline but he could swear that someone gave a little push to guide the key in and now his right arm was free.

That didn’t help much for the witch decided to turn around at that moment and saw him trying to insert the key in the other lock. She said, “Oh no, you don’t.”

Sam felt his body fly slightly as it dragged on the ground. He could feel the strain on his arm as he slid across the floor. He grunted in pain and thought he heard Dean call out to him. Like Dean should be worried about him now.

“Tsk, tsk. Sammy. You should know that I don’t like it when my guests try to leave before the party is over.”

Sam felt his body become flung again and he felt the pull on his left arm. He thought she was going to rip it off. It certainly felt like it. It happened a couple more times and then he felt the pop and gritted his teeth. Damn witch dislocated his shoulder.

The witch stood over him as he took a couple of breaths. She said, “Aw did that last little tumble hurt? Tell me something, how does it feel to be at someone’s mercy?”

“I could ask you the same question witch bitch.”


	16. Chapter 16

Angela wanted badly to rip the witch and the douche’s heads off. First off the attempt on the kids and then Dean’s life by the douche and then the bitch messing with Sam and dislocating his shoulder. She had to focus though. She kept singing the song since it prevented the kelpie from attacking her until she maneuvered to where she could see the bridle in plain sight and the witch bitch was turned to Sam.

Once chance only. As soon as she had a clear view, Angela summoned the bridle. She didn’t need a mirror to know that her eyes were glowing. She could feel it as her power filtered through. She had practiced to the point where she didn’t need to voice what she needed. She held out her right hand and it sailed right into it.

“Aw did that last little tumble hurt? Tell me something, how does it feel to be at someone’s mercy?”

Angela stepped out from behind the kelpie as it calmed down. She now had control of the creature. She called out, “I could ask you the same question witch bitch.”

Genevieve looked up from where she was playing around with Sam to see Angela holding her leverage. She looked down where it had been hanging from her belt. The belt had been ripped clean off. Her face contorted into anger, “You bitch.”

“Tell me something I don’t know,” Angela replied as she reached up and wrapped an arm around the kelpie’s neck. Her arm was strained since the beast was huge but she knew that this was their only chance to turn the tables. She removed the belt and held the bridle ready. She then said to Genevieve, “It is true that claiming the bridle of the kelpie gives you power over it. Ever wonder what happens when you give it back?”

Genevieve narrowed her eyes in anger. She barked at the Raven to keep at what he was doing. She turned her gaze back to Angela who was holding the bridle ready. She held her hand over Sam, “I would like to find out but are you willing to risk your friend’s life?”

Sam meanwhile had been biding his time. He had to hand it to Angela since she had a way of timing things to work out. While the witch’s back was turned, he reached for the keys that he noticed weren’t too far away. He didn’t want to make too much noise until he was completely free. He stretched out with his right hand until he managed to grab the keys. Keeping an eye on the witch he placed the key in the lock and began to work. He managed to get it undone just as the witch placed her hand over him and give the threat. He looked at Angela and she glanced at him. He could see her hesitancy even though it could easily be mistaken for being pissed.

Sam knew he trusted her with what she was doing. He had read up on the kelpie, specifically the bridle. He knew what she was going to do. If she got it back on, the kelpie would grant a boon; practically whatever the person wanted. Dean wouldn’t know that since he was hung up on getting near the thing and he certainly was doing what he could to get out because of the threat.

It was a surprise when he heard his brother say, “Do it Angie. Put that thing back on.”

Sam realized that maybe Dean did do some reading when he wasn’t looking to be able to say that to Angela. He glanced up and saw the hand above him. He was free to move if he wanted to. He looked over at Angela and gave a slight nod and rolled out of the way just as she finished putting the bridle on and buckled the strap.

It was a good thing he did since Genevieve roared in anger and aimed her power at Sam only to find that he wasn’t where he was supposed to be. She spotted him yanking the key out of the cuff and he was free. Well that wasn’t going to be the end of it. Not by a long shot. She caught him and flung him against the wall and suspended him there and took pleasure in trying to strangle him.

Suddenly something collided with Genevieve and she fell, releasing Sam from his hold. As it turned out Raven had hit her just as he reverted to his human form and he collided with her. She gave him a dirty look but it was perverse pleasure that the cages were hanging precariously from their hangings. The trap doors hadn’t opened so if they fell…

“You said you wanted to know what happens when you return the bridle,” Angela shouted. “Well now you’ll find out. The only boon that I ask is that you be free to do what is needed and what you want to do.”

Genevieve had turned towards Angela the moment she spoke. As soon as the words were spoken, the kelpie gave a whinny and tossed its mane. Its eye fixed on her and Raven and it pawed the ground, indicating it was going to charge, which it did. It seemed to have gotten larger as it charged towards her and Raven. She had no control over it. How was she to know that a boon would be granted? She screeched at him, “Do something.”

Raven gave a look and gave a squawk sort of call and his group came charging down the stairs. They rounded in on the kelpie and started battling it out. It was a precarious business since the kelpie hit various walls causing debris to fly but it gave as hard as it got and it never stopped trying to get to Genevieve who was trying to fend off the thing with any spell that she knew.

****

Dean considered himself resourceful. He did know how to make things out of ordinary things that would pull him and Sam out of a jam. He would also admit that he could be a bit impulsive especially if it involved kids. When that ugly raven shifter dude went after the kids, it was just plain wrong.

Haley was trying to work her mojo but nothing was happening. So Dean resorted to the next best thing. He looked around and found some wing nuts that were on a nearby ledge. He didn’t have anything else so that would do. He was a good shot so it was no surprise that his first shot hit the thing right on the head. He continued while calling the thing ugly and other uncreative names to divert attention to him and Haley.

It worked until the thing decided to take them both on and smashed into the cages. It didn’t take long for the mechanisms to start creaking and breaking under the strain. They had to get out if they didn’t want to drown. Dean handed his collection of ammo to Haley and told her to keep throwing and he proceeded to bang away at the trap door.

It took a lot of restraint not to react to how the witch bitch was treating his brother. He caught a glimpse of Angela reaching out for something that was flying towards her and he felt a sense of pride that she could work her mojo that good. He knew what she was trying to do and when it became a standoff, he knew he had to say something.

To Dean it was like what nearly happened with Ellen all over again. This time though Angela had the leverage, the upper hand. Yet he knew she would hesitate since she had a thing about hurting her friends. Thing was he trusted her. After all she did when they were separated and when they got back on the bus together, he trusted her and even Sam did. So he told her to do and put the thing back on the kelpie.

It was his luck or the Winchester luck that Sam was free of his shackles when she did it but that certainly didn’t help Sam much when the witch tried what she wanted to do to him earlier. It was Haley that came through when she muttered something in a strange language and the ugly thing was sent careening into the witch on the ground and Sam was effectively free. Then Angela spoke out loud the boon she requested.

Dean thought that she would ask for something like killing the bitch but Angela’s choice of words was interesting. He knew that the only deal she brokered with a demon was on behalf of his dad. Yet her choice of words indicated that she may have done similar deals but more along the lines with humans or other creatures. She was pretty old and would have picked up a few tricks along the way. That was something to think about later. Right now he had to think about getting the trap door open while the kelpie was causing a ruckus with the witch and those douches.

Dean kept at the pounding but the hanging mechanism couldn’t take much more of it. The cage dropped. The angle was off and the side hit a jutted edge. It was enough to pop the trap door open and Dean and Haley fell out into the dark pool of water. Their fall was followed by the cage falling in after them.

If he could breathe underwater, Dean would have giving his custom ‘sonofabitch’ since the cage landed on his lower half and pinned him to the bottom of the pool. He tried shifting the cage but the thing didn’t want to move. He didn’t have the proper leverage and he needed a second person. Gritting his teeth, he tried again aware that he was wasting whatever air he had left in his lungs. Well that was just peachy since his ticket was coming up sooner rather than later. He could feel his limbs start to go sluggish.

Suddenly Haley’s face was in front of his and basically slapping it to get him to focus. She had the end of a chain in one hand which she was trying to wind around the bars. She gave a smirk as she worked. Dean gave one back as he looked for something to lock the links together. He managed to find a broken pipe that was rusty. It was better than nothing so he handed it to Haley and signaled what she was to do with it.

Haley nodded and slipped the bar through. She angled it so that it wouldn’t fall out while the cage was being pulled out. She smiled and gave a slight tug on the chain and grabbed Dean under the arms ready to pull. Dean couldn’t help but think of one of his usual porno fantasies though he could hear both Sam and Angela telling him to not confuse reality with porn. Whatever. After this he was getting pie and he didn’t care if he had to blackmail Angela with one of the recent photos he took of her.

The cage started to shift and lift. It was a little at first but then it raised enough for Haley to pull Dean out from under it and head for the surface. Dean thought she was going too slow but he did have enough sense to know that you didn’t go fast otherwise you could make your head explode or something like that. It was hard to argue with the fact that you were near bursting from holding your breath for as long as he had been and that was after he had been through Dad’s training on that.

It was welcome relief to burst through the surface and take in a gulp of air. The air felt good on his burning lungs as he let Haley drag him to where the steps were to get out of the water. “Took you long enough,” he managed to get out.

He felt a slight punch on his shoulder from Haley as she pulled herself out. He followed after getting a hand up from Sam. He looked at his brother and said, “Nice timing bitch.”

“Whatever, jerk,” Sam replied with a slight grin. “You’re lucky Angie managed to get free. It was her idea to use the shackle chains to pull that cage thing up.”

“Speaking of which, where is she?” Dean wiped the excess water off of his face as he looked around. He found her creeping along the walls and could see that she was trying to get to the kids. From the looks of things when his and Haley’s gave away, theirs did but they were at an odd angle and the door hadn’t even popped open. “Never mind.”

“That’s right never mind.”

Dean, Haley and Sam turned to find that some of the guys that brought them there in the first place had escaped the kelpie’s rampage and were now coming after them. Dean spotted something shiny and familiar. It was his Colt that he never left home without. He gave a slight elbow to Sam and said, “I guess we get to join the party.”

Sam nodded in agreement. He knew that Dean was up to something. “I always did like crashing a party.”

****

Rose knew that once Absolution had the bridle, she would be free. She was still obligated to grant the boon of Absolution’s choice and half expected something like getting her friend’s free. It stunned her when Absolution asked for nothing more than her freedom to do what needed to be done and what she wanted to do. It was open up to interpretation and Rose took full advantage of it. She was going to get the witch bitch and that disgusting Raven for trying to hurt them. She let loose the full power that had been restricted under her captor’s hand.

Rose had to admit that she got a little out of hand in trying to trample them all at once but the force coupled by what the one called Dean was trying to do set them free. The humans would be able to take care of themselves as long as she distracted the witch and her minions. She was going to have fun with this and she charged straight at them.

At one point, it became difficult to maneuver since the size was somewhat related to the proportion of power. Still Rose had enough mojo and skills to work in any of the forms that she wanted to assume. To make things easier, she transformed into her human form and stared a hard stare at the witch. Anyone watching would have thought that she was a mermaid that had turned human. Her skin was pale and coated with water and the dress she wore was the color of water blue. She was a force to be reckoned with now that she was pissed. She said, “You will pay. No one uses them as leverage against me.”

Genevieve had been thoroughly startles and terrified that her Rose was now free and it was clear that she was pissed. Still she was not going to give up without a fight. She looked around and saw the bitch that set the kelpie free undoing the shackles and tossing the end into the pool of water where little Haley was swimming. She then saw the kids in theirs. They were cheering the bitch and Sam on especially when they started hoisting something out of the water. She turned towards Rose and replied, “I had you and you weren’t cooperating. You were mine by all technicalities.”

“You tricked me by singing the song and for what? Your petty vendetta; a bout of jealousy? You had me kill people because of betrayal and jealousy.” Rose stomped her foot as she advanced towards the witch. She used her power to swat away one of the Raven’s disgusting creatures.

Genevieve backed up as Rose advanced towards her. She replied, “There is nothing wrong with killing a betrayer. Anyone around knows that the deepest circle of hell is reserved for betrayers. You were just helping to clean up the mess here while I searched for what was rightfully mine.” She then unleashed some of her power at Rose.

Rose felt the blow and winced from it. As a creature of magic, to be attacked by anything in the same category could prove just as painful as if it were a typical human weapon like a knife or even a gun with the right kind of bullets. She was not going to give up however and she retorted, “My purpose isn’t for your petty vendetta. There are more things at stake than your need to prove something. You’ve endangered the tribe.”

“They aren’t my tribe,” Genevieve countered as she tried another spell.

Rose dodged and charged forward. She could use her ability that was strongest with water to do serious damage but she wasn’t going to harm the ones who had been trying to help her. “They are your people.”

“They weren’t the day they let an outsider take on our sacred duty.” Genevieve took a chance and started shaking the wall where she had noticed the girl clambering on the wall. She then decided to get down and dirty and threw a punch at Rose.

Rose could feel the tremors in the ground and saw the bits of rock that were falling. She glanced to see Absolution struggling with the cage with the children. The position the cage was in was not going to hold. She had to take out everything. She turned just in time to see the punch come her way. She blocked and countered. Since the witch was going to play that way, well she could go the extra step. Taking the bridle that had been transformed into a belt, she manipulated it into a sort of stick like thing but it delivered a nasty sting. She twirled it and said, “You want to play rough?”

Genevieve took that as a challenge. She may have had the mojo as a witch but she was also a warrior and she wasn’t about to miss an opportunity like this. She grabbed a piece of piping and replied, “Let’s have some fun.”

Rose gave a sort of pleased smile. “Good.” She lashed out like she would with a sword.

Genevieve countered in deflecting the strikes. Each tried to get in and delivering kicks and punches to each other. They both ignored the fact that the Raven’s men were dropping like flies now that there was the sound of gun fire entering the picture. It didn’t matter, they were out for blood for each other but it was fatal for Rose when she heard a noise and the children cry out. She turned to see the cage and Absolution fall into the pool of water. Turning back she was given a hard hit by Genevieve and she slipped on the wet ground and fell. Her head hit the edge of the stair that led to the water where she had come from and she saw stars. She looked up to see the witch grinning over her and was ready to strike. Rose tried to clear her head and cursed the fact that the human form was one of the more fragile kinds.

The strike never came for a gunshot rang out and it hit Genevieve in the shoulder. It hurt bloody hell and it made her pissed. She turned to see who it was that shot her. It was the shorter of the two brothers; the annoying and impulsive one. In retaliation she used her power to send him and his huge brother flying. She never expected Haley to counter with her own power and it was that African witch doctor crap. Well she would have her revenge.

****

Angela used the ruckus the kelpie started to take advantage of the situation and try to get the others free. That was a slight problem since her left was still shackled. It was easily solved when Sam brought over the key. She took it and had him go help the others. She had just gotten herself free when Dean, Haley and their cage went dropping into the water.

Haley was the first one up but when Dean didn’t come up, Angela feared the worst. For a strange reason she got the feeling that he was trapped under there and he couldn’t get out. Haley shouting that he was stuck confirmed it. Taking the chain that the kelpie broke, she tossed it to make a rigging and Haley took the end down to tie it off. It was time to show the type of strength that she was capable of.

It was hard work and it didn’t help that the ground was wet so she ended up slipping and she knew she couldn’t have gotten more than a few inches. It startled her but not surprised her when she saw Sam’s own hands grab the chain and pull with her. She knew that his shoulder was killing him but knowing him and Dean, they would rather suffer the injury if it meant getting the other out of a jam.

Together they got the cage up and when Haley and Dean surfaced, they let it drop. Angela knew that Dean was all right and he had Sam to mother hen him to death later. She would just be the tyrant with a nurse’s cap. Right now she had to get to the kids. Whatever Dean had been doing must have put a strain on the cage and it fell and was now resting at a precarious angle. She started climbing.

When she got to the cage little Clare said, “You helped the Rose, Angie. You did it.”

Angela couldn’t help but smile, “Yeah but we can celebrate that later. Right now I got to get you two out.” She looked over the cage, looking for anything that she could use.

There was a broken bar. That was a start and she was pretty good at ripping things apart. Angela grabbed the bar and began to pull on it. The problem was that the sudden earthquake caused the cage to slide a bit closer towards the water. She was lucky to maintain her balance though being in a pants suit was probably not the best thing to be in at the moment. Hell Sam in his suit looked out of place but he was fighting and somehow both he and Dean managed to get a hold of their guns and were taking shots at the Raven’s men.

Once the shaking stopped, Angela was able to better position herself to pull more on the bar. If she could bend it up, maybe they might be able to get out. Bracing herself and carefully checking to make sure that the cage wouldn’t move she pulled.

The bar started to bend. Slowly by degrees it bent until the piece snapped off like a twig. Angela held it in her hand and placed it on the near by ledge. She reached in and held her hand towards the kids, “Okay let’s see if this is big enough.”

Clyde was going to push his sister first but Clare pushed him and his arm extended allowing Angela to grab his wrist. She hoisted him up but the space was too narrow for him to fit through. She needed to break a couple of more. The thing was it took a lot of force to break one piping. Angela considered trying to open the trap door and hung over the edge to take a look.

That way was a dud since the cage was caught on that end. Angela sat back and gave a frustrated sigh until she looked at the bars and then the broken piece that was on the ledge. She got an idea and wondered if she applied enough torque it would be able to budge stubborn bars. She grabbed the bar and undid her shirt. She had abandoned the jacket a long time ago and had no qualms about taking her shirt off since she was wearing a tank underneath. Besides if Dean was lucky he would see her tattoo again and he had begun pestering her about it lately.

“What are you going to do?”

Angela looked at the children and smiled. “I just figured out a way to get you out of here.”

Using her shirt like a piece of rope, she wrapped it around two bars. Taking the broken piece she wrapped it so that when she twisted it, she tightened it. She kept twisting and watched as the bars started to bend. “Don’t worry. Almost there,” she said more to reassure the kids.

Clare and Clyde looked up as they watched Angela twist the shirt to bring the two bars together. They glanced over at the Rose who had taken human for and was battling it out with the mean witch lady. Sam and Dean were fighting the bird men and Haley was doing her best too. They looked back up at Angela who had removed the shirt and was tying it around two more bars. She was going to make it as wide as possible. They felt the cage slide a little again. Clyde said, “Hurry.”

Angela was hurrying. She had felt the cage start to move and it wasn’t in a good way. It was as she feared. Her movements had disrupted the position of the cage. She had to get them out now. With careful and speedy deliberance she managed to make a hole wide enough to pull them out. Tossing the bar and shirt aside, she reached in and grabbed Clyde first. “Gotcha.”

Clyde used his free hand to hold on while Angela pulled him out. She carefully stood up to lift him out. She couldn’t rest him on the cage with her. Dropping him in the water was the best way. She asked, “Can you swim?”

“We both can,” Clyde replied. He didn’t flinch as Angela held him over the water and kneeled down. It was still a sizeable drop but closer to the water.

Looking up at Angela she nodded and said, “It’s okay. Let go.”

Clyde looked down at the water and then back up. “Don’t forget my sister.”

“I won’t,” Angela replied as she dropped in him into the pool of water. He surfaced quickly and started swimming to the steps.

Meanwhile Angela turned her attention to Clare. Unfortunately Clare was a little shorter than her brother. She strained to reach in and grab the girl by the wrist. She then said, “Clare I can’t reach like this. When I say now, you jump as high as you can and reach for my hand. Okay?”

“What about the…?”

Angela knew what she meant and replied, “It’s the only way Clare. When I say now, jump.”

Clare nodded. She looked up at Angela’s hand. She waited until she said the word and she jumped. She managed to get the hand but it slipped. She tried again after pausing a moment. This time she got the hand and held on tight while Angela pulled her up.

Angela had her out and was holding onto her when the cage moved again. Angela felt her balance go. Suddenly the cage gave way and they both fell into the water. Angela angled her body to take the brunt of the splash and all she could think was that it was like hitting a rock.


	17. Chapter 17

Rose managed to get to her feet after shaking off what was probably a concussion. She saw that her former captor was battling Haley and they were duking it out with their powers. They were causing serious damage and collapse looked eminent. She had to take over. She reverted back to her true form and gave a sharp whinny before stampeding between the two witches and took a swipe at Genevieve.

Haley bounced away and smacked into Dean as he finished off one of those douches that attacked them earlier. He caught and said, “Whoa there. You all right?”

“I’m fine.” It was then she noticed that the cage that had the kids was missing and in the water was the little boy Clyde. “Dean.” She pointed.

Dean followed her gaze and saw the boy swimming towards the edge and was trying to get out. Thinking nothing about his own safety since the kelpie was on the rampage again, he ran to the edge at the same time his brother did. It was Dean who managed to get a good grip on the boy and haul him out. “You okay kid?”

“My sister.”

Sam asked, “Where?”

Clyde pointed at the water. Looking around both brothers realized that Angela was not there either. Dean shouted, “Angie!”

Sam happened to look and saw the kelpie fall back and it was going to crush them if they didn’t move. Even with a dislocated shoulder, he managed to tug his brother while he was holding onto the boy and Haley and dive out of the way of large body. “Dean, watch out!”

The fall had them land near the stairs leading up and into the club. They could get out but he wasn’t going to leave Angela behind and neither was Dean. Yet it was ingrained in both of them that they had to help the civilians, as Dad called them, first. He looked at Dean to ask what to do.

The question was answered for them when the kelpie again reverted into her human form looking battered but not defeated. In fact she looked like she had one last trick up her sleeve and she was going to use it. It was kind of creepy the way she smiled. She said to the witch, “Now you will pay for your crimes.”

“Not before I kill you,” the witch screamed. She charged at the kelpie which in Sam’s opinion was pretty stupid if you didn’t know what you were doing. The witch charged forth and swung what was in her hand at the kelpie.

Rose blocked with her forearm and grabbed the pole that the witch had been swinging at her. She looked down at the witch in the eye. It was a cool, calm and deliberate look. With her free hand she grabbed the other arm of the witch and held her fast. She was well aware that Absolution had fallen into the pool but she couldn’t do anything about that now. Absolution would have to use the canal as a way out. She called out to the others and said, “Go.”

Dean called out, “What about Angie?”

Then Sam remembered, “Dean, the drainage leads out to the canal. She’ll get out that way.”

Dean was about to protest when the water from the pool began to churned and it seemed like a wall of water was going to rise. It shot up like pressurized water and it weakened the structure further causing debris to fall down. There was no way Angela could follow them now, he had to trust that she had a way out. Right now they had to get out of Dodge. He pointed to the stairs and they started up.

Suddenly the Raven jumped in front of them. Dean almost dropped Clyde who clutched his neck hard. The Raven advanced towards them saying, “We aren’t finished here.”

The stairway was too narrow to fight and if Haley tried her powers, it could spell trouble for them. Dean felt her grip his shoulder as she covered the boy hanging down his back with her own body. “Dean… what do you want me to do,” she whispered.

“Begging for mercy is what you should do. I won’t deprive the master the joy in killing you witch,” the Raven replied.

Dean turned his head towards Clyde, “Hey just close your eyes kid. Whatever happens, don’t open them.” At the same time he made a slight gesture, hoping that Sam would see it. He then said to the douche, “You know we can’t let you do that.”

“And what are you going to do about it?”

“Well for starters, kick your ass and then gank it.” Dean gave a sarcastic smile that said he meant business.

The Raven started laughing. This human was ridiculous if he thought he could finish him off. It was literally hysterical. He pointed at Dean and replied, “You think you’re going to do all that? You couldn’t even last when my men took you down.”

“What can I say? I’m a slow learner.”

The Raven was going to say something when he was sent flying and he collided with some barrels in a corner and he was sopping wet. He sat up and growled and was going to spring again but he was attacked by another burst of water and he landed on the mechanism of what looked like was a power generator for both the club and the cage contraption things. The electric shock sparked the liquid that had splashed on the Raven and it ignited and started spreading.

“Looks like our plan was shot to hell,” Dean said. “Let’s book.” He took off jogging up the stairs trying hard not to slip on the hard stone.

Sam was the last to go through the door and he paused to see the kelpie in its human form still fighting the witch. The fire was spreading rapidly and with water shooting everywhere, the structure was going to collapse. He saw that the kelpie was going to sacrifice herself. He didn’t get it but that was something to be investigated later. He took off following his brother and Haley as they raced out of the club just as the flames began to spread.

****

Rose knew that she wasn’t the one who took care of the Raven. She was focused on the witch and bringing down the place. She hoped that Absolution would make it even though it would feel like she was being shot out of a canon or something.

“I will get what is mine.”

Rose looked at the witch and then at the surrounding flames. Fire was good. It would leave no trace and she would return to home. The Raven was already dead and never again would he terrorize the other witch. She looked up to see the one called Sam looking down at the collapsing room. She gave a slight nod and continued to fight.

At least they were safe. One was with the humans and the other was with Absolution but they were safe. Absolution will return them to the tribe. She smiled as the flames started to climb higher. Now was the time. She increased her output and concentrated it for one massive charge. _Rose of Tralee._

****

Falling in shoulder first into a pool of water was no picnic but such was the nature of the business of being a hunter. What Angela didn’t count on was the dull throb she felt on her side as she sank with her load to the bottom of the pool. It was actually deeper than she thought and wondered why that was so.

She didn’t have time to think about it since there was the issue of the cage floating right down on top of them. She squirmed to get away and couldn’t help but grimace as the dull throb pulsed in her side. She let go of Clare and looked down.

There was a nasty gash on her left side and the blood blooming from the water made it look worse than what it probably was. She would have to inspect it later and she looked for Clare. She couldn’t see her anywhere and she started to panic. Grimacing, she began searching for the girl. She had to go back up for air and surfaced just as a huge wall of water came up.

Angela had no idea what was going on but she surmised that the kelpie was doing what it could do when given enough water. Right now she had to find Clare. She took a dive and swam down to the depths. She felt bad for letting her go.

_Help me Absolution._

Angela almost opened her mouth in surprise. It was a thing to get used to the whole talking with her mind. Frowning she kept going. She finally spotted Clare. She was swimming fine but she had been caught in the rush of the tide that was building up. Angela shot forward ignoring her own pain until she caught up with the girl and had her in her arms.

Unfortunately the pressure was building and they needed to get out. Angela knew that the pool emptied into the drainage and the drainage emptied into the canal. Slipping the girl’s arms around her neck and making sure that they were secure, she swam away from where the steps where and towards where the drain was.

It wasn’t too hard to find but at the moment, the kelpie was drawing water so she was working against the current. She was strong but it was taxing and to have an injury on top of that forced her to use every bit of strength that she had to head right where the kelpie had entered. She could feel her lungs start to burn from the lack of air but she needed to get to that hole.

She finally managed to grab the grating and tried to pull herself and Clare through. It was sheer luck that the kelpie pulled enough water to allow her to take a breath of air. She shouted, “Be ready and take a deep breath.”

Clare responded by hugging Angela a little tighter around the neck. She also nodded which Angela felt. “I’ll be ready.”

It was an encouragement to Angela as she used her arms to pull her through the grate just enough to get her legs through. It took even more effort to slide over so that her back was towards the grate. At least the pulling was reduced as Angela dropped to her knees and took a couple of breaths. The thing was she had to move while she could.

 Sucking it up she got to her feet and started trudging down the drain and prayed that she wouldn’t get them lost. It was just luck that it was a single drain so she trudged forward. It wasn’t to last however when there was a rumble coming through the drain. Angela paused to look and saw the torrent of water rushing towards them and her eyes widened.

Clare grabbed on tight just as Angela turned around and started running as fast as she could through the water filled drain. She held her arms behind her to hold onto Clare by her legs and continued to run. The water was getting louder and she knew that it was getting closer. She came to a T-junction and had no idea which way to go.

“Go right.”

Not slowing down Angela executed the turn trusting little Clare’s judgment call. Unfortunately the rushing torrent caught up with them and knocked her off her feet until she was in a sitting position. Angela couldn’t fight against the current and let it carry them. The best she could do was to use her limbs to keep from being jarred against the piping.

Clare made choking sounds as water went down the wrong way and Angela tried harder. Eventually Clare stopped coughing just as Angela thrust out her arms to bounce off a wall as they rounded a corner. It was the last one just as the drain emptied into the canal. They flew out and landed with a splash.

It was actually a weird displacement kind of splash since Angela was struck with the vision of falling into an icy river even though she couldn’t recall ever doing anything like that. Falling into the sea on a cold and stormy night she could recall a couple of times. Maybe it was just the feeling of the water and the fact that she had a gash on her body, she was trying to keep her and Clare’s head above the water all the while trying to find a shoreline or something and her limbs were exhausted. Angela frowned in determination to keep going though it was like when she was trying to get past the grate.

At one point she was pulled underwater towards the bottom of the canal. Frowning in frustration she tried kicking her way back up but every time she rose, she was pushed back down. She felt Clare’s grip loosen and she started to panic. She grabbed the girl’s wrists and kicked again for the surface even though her lungs were burning to the point of bursting and her hands slipped from Clare’s hands to try and get to the surface. It was too much of an effort and her tired muscles gave out and her eyes started to droop.

****

Absolution was hurt but she kept trying. She kept trying to get them out of the drainage and into the canal. Clare knew that it wasn’t her fault that Absolution was hurt but she was sad that it had happened. Absolution got them out and now they were tumbling in the canal and Absolution was tiring out.

Clare didn’t mind the water much because she had been told she was like a fish and there was a good reason for it. When it became clear that Absolution wasn’t going to make it, Clare decided to do what she had been told never to do unless it was necessary. This time it was and she and Clyde should have done it since Absolution had sung the song to calm the Rose.

Clare felt Absolution’s body go limp and the time was to act. She released her hold on Absolution and suspended herself while the current carried them. Darting forward, Clare allowed her form to change into what she and her brother had kept hidden since they were old enough to understand. She had always felt free in this form even though she was small and that was because of her age.

Darting forward at a breaking speed, Clare caught up with Absolution. This time she would carry Absolution just as she had carried her. Clare wound her head underneath Absolution’s arm and was glad that Absolution was conscious enough to get a good grip even if she pulled slightly on her mane. Just as long as she held on, all would be well.

As soon as Clare was sure Absolution was holding on, she darted off in a direction towards the shore. She used her strong muscles to ripple through the water. It was comparable to a dolphin or shark as they swam through the water the way how Clare moved. She could beat her brother in a match and that was how she treated it. She needed to win if only to help Absolution.

Clare angled for the surface and pushed through the water. She broke through with astonishing strength but it felt like playtime. Absolution was still hanging on so Clare swam for the shore. In this form she was able to keep above the water and the force had died down somewhat enabling her to reach the edge. Now she needed to haul Absolution out.

“Looks like you could use a hand.”

Clare looked up and saw a man looking at her with a slight smirk and frowned. He looked human but Clare could tell that he wasn’t really human. He could be an enemy and try to hurt Absolution. She gave a slight noise but didn’t move.

“You know you’re a little small for a kelpie but then you aren’t very old now are you? Relax kiddo I’m not gonna hurt ya. I’m here to help our friend there.” The man indicated towards Absolution.

Clare reverted back so she could talk to the man. She asked, “How do you know about me?”

The man smirked, “Please. I’ve been hanging around here for quite some time. I know a few things. Come on, let me help you out. If I do something wrong I’ll let ya punch me. No tricks.”

Clare frowned and nodded. She didn’t know the man but she could sense that he was a good person or thing. It wasn’t evil that was a sure thing. She moved so he could get a good grip on Absolution and watched as he hauled her out. He grunted, “Damn Angie, always making it difficult to rescue you.”

Clare climbed out by herself just as the man laid Absolution on the ground. She had heard what he said and asked, “You know Absolution.”

At that moment Absolution let out a cough as the water that had filled her lungs started expelling itself out.  She spit it out and took a couple of deep breaths but didn’t open her eyes. The man watched as if to make sure she didn’t open them before replying, “Yeah kid. I know her but not by that name. She hates being called that.”

“I know but it is what she is and how we know her.”

The man looked at Clare with a gentle look. “Maybe you do kid… but not me. She’s a friend and a very good one. I don’t deserve her friendship.”

It was a puzzle to Clare and she was curious. She knew she shouldn’t ask having been told that she would find out a lot if she took the time to stop and listen. Hell that was how she and her brother knew what to do when Absolution came to the village. She couldn’t help herself and asked, “Why do you say that? Absolution says the opposite.”

The man sighed as he kneeled to take a look at Absolution’s injury. He replied as he began to tear off a strip from his jacket, “She says that because bad things happened to her a long time ago. She has trouble seeing how much she means to others. I’m pretty much a dumbass and a jerk.”

Clare kneeled and leaned in close. She looked around. They were near the park. She looked back at the man who was tying off the injury. She said, “Absolution’s friends seem to change her mind a little.”

The man chuckled and replied, “She still doesn’t see it kid but I have faith she will and that’s a big deal coming from someone like me.” He finished and stood up. “Well that should do it.”

“Are you going?”

“Yeap. Gotta find a new place since this town has been too much excitement for me. Maybe I’ll find a place to have a little fun my style.” The man then looked down at Clare. He saw that she looked a little scared which was strange to him since he had just watched the whole swimming thing going on. Must be an age thing. He said, “Don’t worry the numbskulls I like to have fun with are coming this way with your brother.”

Clare frowned at the thought that the man would call Sam and Dean numbskulls. She didn’t know how he knew they were heading this way. “How do you know that?”

The man gave a slight scoffing noise mingled with a laugh. “Come on kiddo. If anything I know those two. They will want to find you two. They’ll find ya here.”

“Why don’t you stay and get thanked?”

The man looked like he almost wanted to burst out laughing or swallow his tongue. Clare didn’t understand his reaction and frowned while he started to chuckle. He managed to get it under control but the laugh could still be heard in his voice as he replied, “Them thank me? They would rather stake me with that fancy wood… as if they could. No I better go. You two will be fine.”

Clare grabbed his sleeve. “Don’t you want to stay?”

“I can’t.”

Clare couldn’t understand why but it was clear to her that the man didn’t want to stay. Maybe it was as he said earlier about him being a jerk. She couldn’t say. She gave a nod and then asked, “Will you come by the village so I can see you again?”

The man frowned slightly at the question as if to think about it. He then glanced at Absolution and back at Clare. “Maybe someday kid. Just stay out of trouble you and your brother.”

Clare felt a slight breeze and crunched up to get warm. When she heard the slight ruffle of wings, she looked up and the man was gone. Clare looked around wide eyed trying to find the man. She didn’t know how he could do that.

****

Angela felt sluggish until she felt the first brushes of air that entered her lungs. It was a natural reaction as she expelled the water. It felt like she had swallowed a whole pool of water but it was good to get it out. As it were she was disoriented even with her eyes closed but she could hear voices. One was Clare’s and she was glad the girl was safe. The other she recognized off the bat but she dismissed it as a dream since they hadn’t spoken to each other since…

Slowly Angela opened her eyes and found herself looking up at the twilight in the sky. She could see the first of the stars coming out and chuckled. Looking up at the stars always brought a sense of content and peace. She suddenly saw a little face looking down at her and she asked, “You okay Clare?”

“Yes Angie.”

Angela smiled. Finally she had gotten the kids or at least one of them to say her name rather than what people thought of her. Slowly she propped herself on her elbows and looked around wincing slightly. She looked down to find her waist tied off with a piece of cloth and remembered the injury she had suffered when she and Clare fell into the water. The girl must’ve found something to tie it off with. That meant that Clare was the one to haul her out and that meant…

Angela couldn’t help but start to laugh a bit. Clare asked her, “What’s so funny?”

“I just tend to overthink sometimes,” Angela replied. “So I guess I owe you one.”

“I owe you a boon,” Clare replied.

“No you don’t.”

“Yes I do. I gave you my chain and then you gave it back to me,” Clare insisted.

Angela raised her brow in a knowing fashion. Clare had neither claimed nor denied anything and she did have a slight memory of touching skin that was usual for marine animals like seals. It made sense now what the elder had told her before leaving the village to work this job.

The last thing that she wanted was to have a debt owed to her by a little one who more likely didn’t understand completely what a debt like that meant. “Why don’t we call it even? Or better yet, I can sing the lament for the Rose since she gave her life for ours.”

Clare looked at Angela as if she didn’t understand why she was trying to get out of it. Then she replied, “I still owe you a boon. You don’t need to use it now but I would like you to sing for the Rose. The elder and Philly would like that.”

“They’ll like it even better once we get you and your brother back to them,” Angela replied as she tried getting to a sitting position. She looked around to see where they were and recognized that part of the park called Music Row. She gave a slight shake of her head in amusement.

At that moment there was some noise and both Clare and Angela recognized the voices of Sam and Dean. They were louder than Haley and Clyde and Angela couldn’t help but laugh. She was certainly going to get it later. Finally she gave a shout that brought them over running.


	18. Chapter 18

The fire was huge like the traditional funeral pyres of the days when the gods were worshipped full force. The blaze seemed to light up the surrounding area creating day in the darkness of night. The warriors were standing in a concerted arrangement; each according to their function and in a weird way, the amount of prestige and honor though that counted for very little. It was considered an honor for the three guests that were privy to this.

“Have you ever seen anything like this before?”

Angela looked at Dean as the fire was being coaxed to its maximum and the prayer chant being said. She replied, “No one has ever seen this. Funerary rites for the Celtic tribes are considered personal. If someone has, then they didn’t say anything. We are given a great honor.”

Dean turned to look at the pyre burning. It reminded him of when he and Sam said goodbye to Dad but theirs was a practical matter. They had salted and burned the remains to prevent the supernatural from using Dad’s body. As far as practices went, they didn’t bother so it was all new to him when he and Sam were pulled in and told to stand where they were.

After getting out the club miraculously without being seen or by sheer dumb luck they headed towards the canal to see if they could find Angela and Clare. After the force that the kelpie had used, Dean logically concluded that it would have to be something like a miracle that they survived all that especially if they were underwater. Still he had faith in her and Sam wasn’t freaking out… then again Sam did make her seem like a superhero at times and he was just as guilty of that too.

They actually walked quite a distance searching the canal, following it to wherever the water led. They went quite a long way and Dean couldn’t help but start to worry about finding them. Clyde wasn’t worried though as he hung onto him and said, “Sister is fine. She’s a good swimmer.”

That really didn’t inspire much confidence on Dean’s part but he noticed that Haley was actually smirking at what the kid said. It was like she knew something he didn’t and he asked, “You know something that I don’t?”

All Haley said at the time was, “Oh just a few things were made clear to me. Must be the witch mojo thing.” She then smirked at him and she winked at Clyde who merely giggled making him feel like he missed the punch line to a joke.

Eventually they found Angela and Clare near the park right where the crowd gathered the day before. Angela was just sitting there talking to Clare and they seemed to be laughing at something but Dean was quick to notice that she had something tied around her waist. Dean was sure that Sam would see it to and go full mother hen mode on her.

He hadn’t been wrong on that since he beat Sam to the punch. All them looked like a sight then since they were at various stages of being wet or in Angela and Clare’s case soaked. How they managed to make it back to the village that night without ruining the leather of his baby, Dean couldn’t figure it out but when they arrived he turned around to find both kids fast asleep and cuddling against Angela and Sam. He made him sit in the back so he could sit with Haley.

Sam was looking at Clyde who had fallen over and was resting his head in his lap like the kid was one of those clowns he was still scared of. Angela was just stroking Clare’s head and humming something. She hadn’t let go of the girl all the way to the car and Dean figured she was just being overprotective. It was an interesting sight though and Dean fished out his phone and took a quick picture much to the annoyance of Sam.

The rascals were awake the moment he opened the door and running towards Philadelphia who greeted them like they had just been on a pleasant vacation or something. Angela was no help since she was just grinning. Dean did have to admit that he and Sam had never had it better when they were given space for the night and asked to stay for a day in thanks for returning the Rose.

Dean had been thoroughly confused until Angela said, “Very clever for having them tag along Philly.”

It then occurred to Dean that Angela was referring to the kids. He found that to be strange and looked at Sam who had been just as confused. That would mean… “You mean…?”

“I didn’t encourage them,” Philadelphia said mostly to Angela.

Angela gave a knowing smile. “I get it. Well Clare did a nice job with the swimming but I get the feeling that they work best together.”

Dean diverted his attention back to the pyre. It had been an interesting conversation and one that Haley filled him in on later after he was done being interrogated. Throughout the day, he and Sam were asked questions about what happened by some old lady whom they called the elder. After piecing the story together along with Angela managing to find out about the mysterious death of club owner Genevieve McKenna, the elder had the village prepare for a funeral. It was an even bigger surprise that they were asked to stay.

Dean looked over at Angela who was standing and staring at the fire. He noticed that she hadn’t even bothered with a jacket and was wearing just a tank top. He also noticed that she had put her hair up like she did when she did her debut. He tried hard not to smirk out of respect but he was going to give it to her later. He figured though she made that appearance because she was actually going to sing and willingly.

Dean watched standing with Sam as Angela seemed to hear a melody in her mind and opened her mouth. He was unaware that Haley had moved nearby just as Angela started singing. Dean knew his Latin and maybe a few words in Spanish but what she was singing was completely beyond him and it sounded like something out of Lord of the Rings. Haley whispered, “It’s Gaelic. She’s singing the Caoineadh Cu Chulainn. It’s a song of lament.”

“Care to translate?”

Haley replied, “You’re lucky that I’m half Celtic.” She began to translate.

 

_I come to You to be my life and guide_

_I come to you to take me home_

_I will come now and live_

_I will come now and give my all to you_

_So take me and use me as your own_

_I come to you to fill my heart and soul_

_I come to you to be my all in all_

_So take me now Lord_

_So take my life and do what’ere you want_

_I need to know I am yours_

_So take me_

_So take me now to be your faithful child_

_So take me_

_So take me now to be your own_

_I want to serve you all my days_

_I’m here Lord to give you my heart and soul_

_I’m here Lord so take me to Thy throne_

 

The song finished and everyone started taking their leave. Angela hadn’t moved so Dean decided to stay behind. He made an excuse to Sam that he wanted to ask a few things. Surprisingly Sam didn’t question him and walked off to where the tribe had put them up for their stay. Dean approached Angela and said, “That was actually nice Angie. I didn’t understand the words until Haley translated them.”

Angela turned to look at Dean. “The thought occurred to me that I would end up doing the same thing for you if I don’t find a way to break the deal.”

Dean could have been annoyed and tried not to but it came out that way. “Angie you know the score with that. Though it would be a nice thing.”

“Don’t remind me. That doesn’t mean that I won’t try though.”

“Angie, you try anything, Sam dies. Plain and simple.”

“Not if I had anything to do with that.”

“What’s that supposed to mean? Are you referring to what you told the hell bitch after the deal was made?” Dean looked at Angela. “I figured you may have done something because you’ve been pissed at any demon we came across lately.”

“And how do you feel about the possibility that I may have screwed you doubly over?” Angela looked at Dean. She might as well tell him now than wait until later.

“And how would you do that? If I know you Angie, you probably said something along the lines that if the demon did anything to Sam that you would kill her.” Dean watched the surprised look on her face and explained, “I know a threat when I see one and while I was in a bad place then, I could tell that the bitch was scared of you. If it’s your reputation or something like that then fine. The point is you didn’t screw me Angie. I did that of my own free will.”

Angela looked at Dean with a thoughtful expression. She knew the brothers had many qualities and their ability to be attentive to details in their own way was one of them. In this case she may have misjudged a little. “How long ago did you figure it out?”

“I figured something was up the moment I heard you talking to the bitch. Then how you acted… I’m not mad Angie. You were in a similar spot emotionally.”

Angela gave a wry smile. She glanced at the pyre. “The kelpie gave her life to save us and her children. The things people do for those they care about.” She glanced at Dean with a slight smile. “An admirable quality I think. Haley understands that.”

“Hey.”

“I’m not blind.” Angela gave a slight sigh as she looked up at the sky. “I think I’ll spend the night out under the stars.” She gave a knowing look at Dean before heading off to where the Impala was parked leaving Dean to stare at her incredulously before he went to seek out Haley.

****

“Ever hear that if you don’t wear a jacket, you catch cold?”

Angela turned her head to look at the owner of the voice feeling very comfortable in the position she had taken on the Impala’s hood reclining against the windshield. “Aren’t I supposed to be the one that is bossy?”

Sam had walked into that one and gave a sheepish grin. He had called her that. “Okay you got me on that. What are you doing out here?”

“Felt like it. Besides Dean is having fun time with my roomie.” Angela gave a slight smile as she turned to gaze back up at the stars. She muttered the rhyme about Aquarius while giving a slight chuckle at the thought.

It wasn’t hard for even Sam to guess at what that meant. He just gave a slight eye roll. “So you plan on staying out here all night?”

“If it makes you feel better…” Angela sat up and pulled out the hoodie she had been using as a pillow and started putting it on. She gave a slight hiss since the gash was a bit tender as she pulled it on. It was too big but it was comfortable. When she was finished she looked at Sam and said, “There.”

“It’s too big.”

Angela decided to tease, “Really? You know some freakishly huge guy gave it to me after I stole it from him. If he wants it back, he’s gonna have to fight for it.” She laid back down prepared to use her hands to cushion her head.

“You really want to go down that route? You know I can hold something out of your reach,” Sam replied.

“And I all I have to do is take a running start.” Angela smiled as she adjusted her shoulders on the windshield. “Maybe I should make you pay up for earlier.”

“I don’t think I like the sound of that,” Sam replied in a teasing frown. He remembered that she said he owed her for her impromptu performance and wondered what she had in mind. He thought it couldn’t be as bad as what Dean would probably do though she did have her moments. “What do you have in mind?”

Angela made the motion to think if only to prolong the suffering of waiting and anticipation. She was in a generous mood now that she had talked with Dean about the stipulation. She still wasn’t going to say anything to Sam since it was still along the lines of finding a way out of the deal that ventured into that no man’s land. She finally replied, “It’s only fair that you suffer the same as me.”

“Seriously? What is that? Having me sing?”

“Hell no. It’s bad enough I have to listen to Dean,” Angela replied. She had never heard Sam sing before but his mentioning it gave her an idea for later. Having a long memory sometimes was a good thing. “I was thinking since I have to suffer this chilly night air then so should you. No way you’re getting a nice warm room.” She gave a smirk as she continued to stare up at the sky.

Sam gave a slight sigh of relief. Sitting out in the night air wasn’t too bad. It was obvious she wasn’t going to move so he got on the hood beside her to stare at what she was staring at. Dean would probably say something about it later but somehow Angela always managed to stay out of trouble as far as the car went. “So you find anything up there?”

“Just the usual,” Angela replied. “I like star gazing. More relaxing than some other things at times. Oh I called in a favor. That Ryan kid is going to be sprung from the psych ward.”

“I almost forgot about that,” Sam replied feeling slightly guilty.

“Nothing to worry about. A friend of a friend of a friend who knows the shrink pulled some strings. Made a pretty convincing argument.”

“You seem to know quite a few people.”

Angela shrugged her shoulders, “Mostly they are people I’ve helped out. Some human… some are the good version of the things we hunt.” She gave a slight chuckle, “I guess I would be a good example to politicians who would rather have favors than money. Though neither are high in importance to me.”

“I kind of noticed that on the money thing.” Sam gave a slight rumble, “Dean gets pissed every time you pay. Doesn’t bother me just don’t think I’m a freeloader or anything.”

“Not on your life,” Angela replied. “Call it my overblown sense of fair play. Ask Bobby about that. Besides it was only fair the last time since the kids hitch hiked with us.”

Sam had to admit that Angela did have a thing about playing fair. She disliked cheating as much as the next guy but she was cunning. He had watched her play chess with Bobby once and she was good. It looked like Bobby was going to win but he had fallen into a trap she had set earlier and he conceded defeat. No one took her seriously when she said she could play poker though but Sam was sure that she could bluff even Dean on that. Changing the flow of the conversation he asked, “So what was that about mentioning about Clare being a good swimmer? You’re saying…?”

“Both of them are the Rose. Mommy passed the title on when she was taken,” Angela confirmed, “But it was never really about the Rose.”

“What do you mean?”

“Remember how I mentioned that there are three tribes and each guards a portion of the seal? Well as it turns out one was hiding in Lakota,” Angela replied as she traced a pattern following the stars. “I figured it out the moment the witch bitch mentioned betrayal and the like and I asked the elder earlier.”

“So you’re saying that we found it?” Then Sam paused a moment and then it clicked, “You mean Haley?”

“Haley guards the seal,” Angela corrected. “It was the reason she and the witch parted on nasty terms. They were friends once and apparently the witch was in line to become the next guardian but she was passed over and you know how that story goes. Bottom line is Haley was in hiding and the whole case was about drawing her out.”

“But Haley was a singer at the club…”

“Never underestimate the power of a good shield charm. From my understanding the piece of the seal she guards gives her the ability to camouflage herself or something. African mojo.”

“Makes sense.”

“Tell me about it.”

The rest of the night was spent talking about nothing and looking up at the stars. It was an opportunity for Sam to bring up the subject of Dean’s deal. He didn’t though and fell to teasing Angela about another performance for Bobby’s benefit which led to friendly banter about kicking each other’s ass or whatever.

****

“Angie, stay with us.”

Angela looked down at the look Clare and Clyde was giving her. She knew the girl was trying the look to get her to stay and she heard Dean snickering behind her. She shot him a look that told him to shut up though it made it worse that Sam was trying not to laugh. Angela turned back to the two children. She kneeled and said, “I can’t stay. I have to go.”

“Please?”

“What’s the betting that she’s gonna fold?”

“Dean.”

“What?”

Angela ignored the heated whispers behind her. They obviously thought that she was going to fold. She smiled as she shook her head and spoke in Gaelic to the children, “I have to go. My place is with my friends. Your place is here with the tribe. You both are the Rose now and you have to learn many things that the tribe can teach you. Understand?”

The children responded in kind, “We understand but we still don’t want you to go. You are a good person.”

Angela smiled and patted each of the kid’s shoulders. She looked at Haley who was ready to leave. She asked her, “So you are returning home?”

Haley replied as she watched the kids say their goodbyes to Sam and Dean, “I think I will stay in the States for a while. I spoke to Mother and I have a new companion. He’s not as fun as you are but he does have a few things related to your name.”

Angela nodded and asked in a low voice, “Nephilim?”

Haley nodded. “Don’t tell Dean though.”

“Oh I won’t,” Angela replied as they watched as both kids jumped on Dean to give him a hug goodbye. “I take it things went well last night?”

Haley blushed, “You could say that. Thank you for ending my nightmare.” Haley then pulled something out of her pocket. It was a bracelet made of wood carved beads in the African style. They were interwoven with cowrie shells. “This is for you.”

Angela looked at it. She was a little reluctant, “Haley you don’t have to…”

“Don’t dishonor me, friend,” Haley replied, “It is a mark of a warrior according to my father’s people. The symbols stand for courage, selflessness and virtually everything that makes a person a good one. The cowrie shells were once a sign of wealth in trade, hence the abundance of it. It is yours my friend because what you do is greater than any of us who have our own purpose.” Haley clasped it around Angela’s wrist. “The mark of a warrior.”

Angela looked at the bracelet and Haley. She and Haley had a certain understanding because they both were straddling two different kinds. They both knew the hardships of being Halflings. She would not disrespect Haley and so gave an appropriate nod and grasped Haley’s wrist with her hand while Haley returned the gesture. She gave a slight smile and said, “Maybe one day we will meet again. Stay safe.”

“And to you.”

The tribe watched as the Winchesters got into the car. Angela paused with the door open and looked at the tribe. She could see Clare and Clyde giving her smiles that looked mischievous and Haley and Philly and the other tribe members. They were looking at her expectantly and she knew she had to say it. She did the last time she left. She raised her right hand and said the traditional words of farewell and in response was a large chorus of the reply. She smiled and got in and the Impala took off towards the highway.

****

He had been watching the whole thing but hidden. There were a few tricks that he knew that would keep her from being aware of his presence. He helped her out but she never knew he was there. He had pretended to be Cody the musician to get her on the case. Now it was time to move on. Maybe cause a few tricks to happen and have some fun. He would be careful though not to attract the ever persistent attention of the Winchester brothers since he liked having fun with them at his own time.

He watched as the Impala drove away towards a job or even some R&R. Either way it was the road he knew she should be taking. He only hoped that by hanging out with the Winchesters she would develop a better sense of being careful… like that was going to happen. He knew he wouldn’t prefer her any other way. He turned away from the scene and started walking towards nowhere and he started singing the song that he thought best suited her, “Rose, Rose I love you…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that wraps up the season premier. I hope you enjoyed and will look forward to seeing how Sam and Angie try to help Dean since he only has a year. As always, any and all reviews are welcome and your support is greatly appreciated. Stay tuned for the next episode. It is sure to be a real thrill. Stay tuned for Ghost Battle.


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